<img alt="St. Louis Cardinals v Atlanta Braves - Game One" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VdwNUjzJux3SKoNLLAVQw8N5FnM=/0x0:7807x5205/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73484369/2162173097.0.jpg">
Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images
Charlie Morton gets the start Friday as the Braves look to snap a five-game losing streak. At various times this season, it has felt like the Atlanta Braves have reached the breaking point. A great start in April has been followed by nothing but mediocrity. In fact, mediocre is probably a little strong for what we have seen from the Braves over this five-game losing streak. Thursday’s disappointing loss harkened back to memories of 2016 or 2017, which is not something that we have said about this group of players very often.
With the trade deadline just a few days away, help may in fact be on the way. Still, it can’t get here soon enough for a team that is floundering. Atlanta’s lead in the wild card is down to just a half game over the Mets. While there is still two months and some change remaining in the season, the Braves could find themselves in a much dire situation if they don’t turn things around soon.
Charlie Morton will get the start Friday night and will be looking to build on a good outing last time out where he limited the Cardinals to just six hits and a walk over six scoreless innings. Friday will be Morton’s third appearance against the Mets this season. He allowed four runs and walked five over 5 2⁄3 innings back on April 8. He followed that up by allowing one run and striking out seven over a season-high seven innings on May 10 at Citi Field.
The Mets will counter with right-hander Kodai Senga, who will make his season debut. Senga has been sidelined since the start of the season with a shoulder capsule strain and triceps inflammation. Senga posted a 2.98 ERA and a 3.63 FIP in 166 1⁄3 innings for the Mets in 2023. Senga faced the Braves once last season where he allowed three runs and struck out seven over six innings.
Thursday’s loss was one of the most disappointing of the season. Base running blunders, sacrifice bunts and a misplayed fly ball sent Atlanta to a 10-inning loss. The Braves offense has struggled since the start of May. The amount of injuries they are dealing with doesn’t help, but they simply can’t afford to not be fundamentally sound and that just isn’t what we have seen of late. This roster as it stands currently, just isn’t good enough to overcome those types of mistakes which is something that I never thought I’d be saying when the season began.
If you are looking for silver linings, Austin Riley and Matt Olson accounted for four of Atlanta’s seven hits Thursday night. Riley returned after missing one game on the paternity list. Olson’s two-hit game was his second straight but he still has just a 29 wRC+ in July.
First pitch Friday night is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET and can be seen on Bally Sports Southeast.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Friday, July 26, 7:10 p.m. ET
Location: Citi Field, Flushing, New York
TV: Bally Sports Southeast
Streaming: MLB.tv
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM
<img alt="St. Louis Cardinals v Atlanta Braves - Game One" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VdwNUjzJux3SKoNLLAVQw8N5FnM=/0x0:7807x5205/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73484369/2162173097.0.jpg">
Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images
Charlie Morton gets the start Friday as the Braves look to snap a five-game losing streak. At various times this season, it has felt like the Atlanta Braves have reached the breaking point. A great start in April has been followed by nothing but mediocrity. In fact, mediocre is probably a little strong for what we have seen from the Braves over this five-game losing streak. Thursday’s disappointing loss harkened back to memories of 2016 or 2017, which is not something that we have said about this group of players very often.
With the trade deadline just a few days away, help may in fact be on the way. Still, it can’t get here soon enough for a team that is floundering. Atlanta’s lead in the wild card is down to just a half game over the Mets. While there is still two months and some change remaining in the season, the Braves could find themselves in a much dire situation if they don’t turn things around soon.
Charlie Morton will get the start Friday night and will be looking to build on a good outing last time out where he limited the Cardinals to just six hits and a walk over six scoreless innings. Friday will be Morton’s third appearance against the Mets this season. He allowed four runs and walked five over 5 2⁄3 innings back on April 8. He followed that up by allowing one run and striking out seven over a season-high seven innings on May 10 at Citi Field.
The Mets will counter with right-hander Kodai Senga, who will make his season debut. Senga has been sidelined since the start of the season with a shoulder capsule strain and triceps inflammation. Senga posted a 2.98 ERA and a 3.63 FIP in 166 1⁄3 innings for the Mets in 2023. Senga faced the Braves once last season where he allowed three runs and struck out seven over six innings.
Thursday’s loss was one of the most disappointing of the season. Base running blunders, sacrifice bunts and a misplayed fly ball sent Atlanta to a 10-inning loss. The Braves offense has struggled since the start of May. The amount of injuries they are dealing with doesn’t help, but they simply can’t afford to not be fundamentally sound and that just isn’t what we have seen of late. This roster as it stands currently, just isn’t good enough to overcome those types of mistakes which is something that I never thought I’d be saying when the season began.
If you are looking for silver linings, Austin Riley and Matt Olson accounted for four of Atlanta’s seven hits Thursday night. Riley returned after missing one game on the paternity list. Olson’s two-hit game was his second straight but he still has just a 29 wRC+ in July.
First pitch Friday night is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET and can be seen on Bally Sports Southeast.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Friday, July 26, 7:10 p.m. ET
Location: Citi Field, Flushing, New York
TV: Bally Sports Southeast
Streaming: MLB.tv
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM
Link to original article
