Blake Snell’s rocky outing leads to de facto bullpen game

It wasn't the first rocky outing for Snell against Atlanta this season, as he only managed to toss three innings while allowing four runs in his 2026 debut back on May 8 before being placed on the injured list. The southpaw had looked like his usual dominant stretch once he returned in August, but the ultimate test was to see how he would perform against the lone team that roughed him up.

Snell made quick work of Drake Baldwin for the first out, but after allowing a one-out single to Ronald Acuña Jr., he walked both Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies to load the bases. Snell managed to get Michael Harris II to fly out in foul territory for a crucial second out, but Mauricio Dubón tacked on the game's first run with an infield single. Snell faced seven hitters in the first inning, needing 27 pitches to give the Dodgers a chance to hit.

Snell's biggest flaw on Sunday was his inability to get quick innings, unlike Tarik Skubal on Saturday. Snell needed four pitches to get two quick outs in the second inning, but allowed a six-pitch walk to Baldwin and needed another eight to strike out Acuña. Snell allowed another two-out baserunner in the third inning, this time a single from Harris, needing 19 pitches after tossing 18 the inning prior.