The Braves opened their series against the Reds after clinching their division, and JR Ritchie got the start as Atlanta began the stretch run that will carry it through its last two series before playoff action begins. The Reds came in at 72-84, already well out of the race and trying to salvage something from a season that has mostly slipped away.
That is why the game drew attention now: it was Atlanta’s first step after the clinch, and it came with the Braves still set to play through the regular season rather than disappear into a full shutdown. Ritchie, who made his MLB debut against the Nationals in April, has logged 62 2/3 innings across nine starts and six relief appearances. His line through that work sits at 119/135/115, with a 7/2 K/BB ratio, a profile that shows both the mileage he has already absorbed and the reasons the Braves trusted him here.
The Reds still had a few things worth watching even in a lost season. Elly de la Cruz had put up 6.3 fWAR across 603 plate appearances and counting, while Sal Stewart had hit a lot of homers. Chase Burns had also flashed value, with 4.3 fWAR in 154 1/3 innings and counting. Those numbers do not change the record, but they explain why the Reds could still point to individual progress even as the team sat at the bottom of the standings.
There was also a quieter wrinkle in Atlanta’s plan. The Braves were described as likely to take it easy in their last two series before the playoffs, but that did not mean they would fully empty the lineup immediately after the clinch. Giving the ball to Ritchie fit that middle ground: competitive enough to keep the rhythm, restrained enough to avoid treating September like another must-win sprint.
The next stop is Miami, where the Braves are scheduled to finish the regular season. By then, the only real question left is how much of the everyday group Atlanta keeps in motion before October begins.
