Braves' Brian Snitker 'Didn't Care About a No-Hitter' In World Series Game 3

Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker said losing a potential World Series no-hitter was the last thing on his mind when Houston Astros pinch hitter Aledmys Diaz dropped a bloop single into left field to end the Braves' bid for history in Game 3 of the 2021 Fall Classic.

Snitker, who pulled starter Ian Anderson after five no-hit innings and handed the ball to his lights-out bullpen, noted the more important fact was the Astros' first hit represented a critical baserunner in the eighth inning of a 1-0 game.

"Number one, I didn't care about a no-hitter," Snitker told reporters after Friday's game. "I just care about the tying run getting on. It happens."

The Braves held on for a 2-0 win to secure a 2-1 series lead.

Snitker, an old-school manager in a sport increasingly reliant on analytics to help make key in-game moves, said his decision to take out Anderson wasn't based on the numbers.

Instead, he made the call based on what the 23-year-old right-hander had done through five frames and the fact that a potent Astros lineup was set to flip over for a third time.

"I told him, and he was like, 'Are you sure? Are you sure?'" Snitker said. "But I was just like, 'Ian, I'm going with my gut right here.'"

While Atlanta, playing its first home game in a World Series since 1999, couldn't complete the no-hitter, the plan otherwise worked to perfection.

Four relievers—A.J. Minter, Luke Jackson, Tyler Matzek and Will Smith—each pitched a scoreless inning and catcher Travis d'Arnaud added a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth to an earlier RBI double by third baseman Austin Riley to give the Braves the series lead.

"It was fine," Anderson said of leaving with a no-hitter. "I have the utmost trust in Snit and the bullpen, those guys coming in."

Although the starter had mostly kept the Astros in check, he allowed three walks and hit a batter while throwing just 39 of his 76 pitches for strikes on a night when he struggled to find the zone consistently with his off-speed stuff.

The Braves also couldn't afford to take any unnecessary risks with a slim lead because of what looms ahead over the next two days: back-to-back bullpen games after ace Charlie Morton suffered a fractured fibula during his Game 1 start. A loss Friday paired with that pitching setup could have put the NL champions in serious danger.

Instead, Atlanta holds the advantage heading into Game 4, and its rotation sets up so Max Fried would go in Game 6 and Anderson in Game 7, if necessary.

The World Series resumes Saturday night, with the first pitch set for 8:09 p.m. ET on Fox.