Braves pull Ian Anderson in Game 3 after five innings despite having no-hitter

The Atlanta Braves have pulled starting pitcher Ian Anderson from Game 3 of the World Series against the Houston Astros after five innings despite having a no-hitter intact. Anderson had thrown 76 pitches through five frames and was completely shutting down the Astros. He had four strikeouts in the outing.

Atlanta had a 1-0 lead at the time, and managers tend to get cold feet when a lineup starts to come back around for a third time. However, Anderson looked to be in complete control and Houston’s bats were not firing on a cold, damp night in Atlanta. The pitch count was well in the range of a standard five-inning performance. If the Braves go on to lose this game, there will be a lot of questions surrounding manager Brian Snitker’s decision to pull Anderson.

Relief pitcher A.J. Minter, who has been good this postseason, replaced Anderson in the game.