After the fall of Michael Harris II, back up Marcel Ozuna, another loss for the Dodgers (2023)

ATLANTA -- If anyone had to rank the Warriors' surprising run through the first quarter of the season, it would beMichael Harris IIIt would be high on that list.

After his sixth consecutive no-hitter on Monday dropped his batting average to .163 and his OPS below .500, the reigning National League Rookie of the Year was benched Tuesday againstavoid.the BRAVEDirector Brian Snitker believes the time has come, the recession is approaching a rather alarming level.

"I think he needs a mental hit right now," Schnitke said of his decision to rest Harris, hoping it will help ease any pressure he might be putting on himself. "I thought about doing it on Sunday, but I decided against it. I saw it yesterday and thought, 'You know what? He is a young player. I think it's good for him to sit back and watch."

The Dodgers clinched the series title with an 8-1 victory on Tuesday.Spencer Strider, who had 11 strikeouts in six innings to improve his ownMajor League Baseball- Total career-high 97 in 57 2/3 innings. He was charged for four runs, only two of which were scoredMatt OlsonA double error on the field resulted in the second inning of a three-game hitting streak. The Warriors have lost eight of 12 games, will turn toBryce Sron Wednesday as they try to avoid a sweep.

former heroJason HaywardStrider led off the second inning with a home run as he threw a 97.6 mph pitch over the strike zone. This is a very unusual feat against a Strider whose high temps often border on untouchable.Will SmithThe two-run streak was added after the Dodgers doubled Olson's turnover and back-to-back walksMookie BatesandFreddie Freeman, the latter intentionally shoved two contestants after a wild pitch.

"A couple early (runs), then a ball where I made an error, scored two runs, got two outs. It's not ideal," Olson said. "But he was still shooting well. Still the Strider we knew. It wasn't like a game where he scored four. But we didn't do much offensively to really inspire him. Come back tomorrow." Take them."

dodger's viewBobby Miller, in his first MLB start, limited the Braves to four hits, one run and one walk and five strikeouts in five innings. The right-hander had 24 pitches at 99.2-100.4 mph. The Strider had a top speed of 99.1 mph.

Harris, who is five days removed from the anniversary of his major league debut -- he came out of Double-A last May -- spent an afternoon with Warriors manager Kevin Setzer, working with Hall of Famer Chipper Jones , a team consultant , with batsmen before home matches. Despite mechanical problems with the impeller they were using, Seitzer said it worked.

"He's struggling right now," Setger said. "We work."

Before Tuesday, Harris' 486 OPS was sixth among 282 major leaguers with at least 90 plate appearances. His 33 OPS+ is 100 points below what he did in his rookie season, when the Atlanta-area native hit .-home runs.

Harris, who has five extra-base hits (one home run) in 95 plate appearances in 26 games this season, missed 19 games in April with back strain before returning from the injured list. The following week, he missed two more games with a right knee injury. . He wore heavy knee braces for many games, but said his back and knees have been fine in recent weeks.

The fact that he missed time so early in his second MLB season may have been a factor in his inability to end the slump sooner.

"I think it's a combination," Seitzer said. “I mean, he had about 30 at-bats before he got hurt, he's had about 50 at-bats since he came back and he's off to a slow start. What do hitters do? Start applying pressure, start trying to push it, battle. So Snit gave him a day off today (not in the lineup). We had a great time working and talking."

Harris hit .237 with a .678 OPS after a two-hit, two-run game on May 3 that included a homer. He hasn't had more than one hit since then and is hitting .104 (5-for-48) with two doubles, two RBIs, a run and a .335 slugging percentage in 14 games.

"I mean, he hides the ball down there, he fouls the ball, he hits it when they're fastballs," Seitzer said. "Then he drives and rolls on the low notes. So we try to clean up his approach, get him to think about more low-line driving, keep it opposite, more opposite, to the point where he doesn't. miss the fast Where the ball is Because he killed the fastball last year and not this year.

"Anyway, the kid is working. He's a strong kid. We'll see where he goes."

Harris made it look so easy last season. He debuted less than three months after his 21st birthday and earned his 22nd Rookie of the Year on one ballot (Strider won eight more). The Warriors signed Harris to an eight-year, $72 million contract in August, less than three months after his debut.

All of which makes his sophomore slump all the more amazing. But it's worth noting that Harris was still in high school four years ago.

Setcher was asked if he thought Harris would get better soon.

"Yes, I think so," he said. "I mean, he doesn't have a baseball card yet. But he had a huge hit last year. It was a really big season, even though he's playing a little late. He's impressive when you least expect it." It was a big surprise. But when people start slow, they start trying to force it. That's where it is now."

Snitker, Seitzer comment on the backswing incident

there is one forviolent confrontationafter Monday's gameMarcell OzunaThe backswing hit Dodgers catcher Will Smith on the side of the helmet. Smith told Ozuna he needed to "clean up" after hitting receivers with an unusually long top swing several times in recent years, including another Smith incident last season.

Both bullpens were empty and multiple players from both teams came off the bench before Ozuna and Smith parted ways and there was no physical confrontation. Ozuna said he told Smith he wasn't going to change his swing to suit him, and on Tuesday, Ozuna referred to other catchers he hit, who accepted his apology and moved further behind home plate when he struck out .

Snitker and Seitzer said Ozuna wasn't wrong and that Smith should have hit the ball farther than Ozuna.

Setzer, who played 12 seasons through 1997, said, "I've killed a catcher before. I had the same finish (backswing) and I thought, 'Oh my God, I'm so sorry.' But you're the best back.' bottom and try to steal a hit; they have to be careful and protect their dome and protect their left arm. I used to elbow the receiver all the time."

After the fourth incident, Smith retreated a few inches into Ozuna's strike zone, Seitzer said.

"He didn't lean that much there," Setger said. "Anyway, it was just bad luck. It was a tough deal. But he can't be mad at Ozuna. He just wants to play well, do his thing, and that's how he wants to finish the game. (Ozuna) will say, “Okay, I don't want to hit the catcher,” and I said, “Dadgum, man, you don't have to worry about changing your swing and not hitting the catcher. You need to start rocking. If you hit him, he has to step back. That it's not your fault. He came very close'".

Snitker said Braves receiving coach Salfa Sano instructs his receivers to position themselves against hitters with long backs.

"Sar always put our guys back," said Snitek, himself a former minor league catcher. "You're going to see some guys with a long backswing. They don't want to hit the catcher, they don't try. Like I said, we move our hitters to certain hitters. It's not a lot. But there are a few. Instead of getting hit, we just move them back."

(Michael Harris II Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)