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By Ben Watanabe
Contributing Sports Writer
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Ron Darling did not enjoy watching Connor Thomas be used as a sacrificial lamb.
Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss had to make some uncomfortable decisions Monday when his overtaxed pitching staff needed to fill innings against the New York Mets. He turned to Thomas, a 28-year-old minor league journeyman, to give it his best shot in a 3-3 game.
The results were disastrous not only for the Braves collectively, but for Thomas individually.
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Thomas ended up throwing 78 pitches and giving up 11 runs in 2 2/3 innings in what turned into a 14-3 laugher for New York. His final line was filled with unsightly details: three home runs, two strikeouts, 10 hits and five walks. It was just his second MLB appearance of the season and ballooned his ERA to 21.32.
The beating was so bad, even the opposing announcers were sympathetic.
"I just think that's criminal, what we just witnessed," SNY commentator Ron Darling said, as seen in a video posted on X. "Literally, I'm sick to my stomach. ... (I'm) pretty disgusted with it."
"How many pitchers do we need on a roster?" Darling continued. "I mean, we have 13. You can't get through a nine-inning game (with 13 pitchers)?"
Thomas' reward for taking the bullets for the Braves was expected to be a quick demotion back to Triple-A, where he has performed well with a 1.98 ERA in 12 appearances for the Gwinnett Stripers. For as much as Monday's shellacking hurt him, he'll surely eagerly accept another recall back to the big leagues whenever the Braves come calling for him again.
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