<img alt="Milwaukee Brewers v Atlanta Braves" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OtA6VpnA20TsqsXGpNanHiihS8w=/0x0:7613x5075/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73510271/2165369646.0.jpg">
Photo by Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images
The Braves wrapped up one of their ugliest homestands in quite some time. Lately it feels like every one of these takeaway articles mentions the Atlanta Braves hitting rock bottom. If this isn’t it, then the rest of this season isn’t going to be much fun. You probably would need to go back to 2016 or 2017 to find a stretch where the Braves have played this poorly. You would need to go back to 2014 to find a stretch (and season) so disastrous to the franchise as a whole. The pitching staff has carried the team and kept them in contention since the start of May. This three-game series is a glimpse of what things would look like should the pitching falter.
This homestand had a little bit of everything and most of it was bad. The Braves endured a 24-inning scoreless stretch and were outscored 34-12 in the three games against Milwaukee. Thursday’s loss dropped them into a tie with the New York Mets for the final Wild Card spot. The Mets will play the Colorado Rockies later Thursday and a win would have the Braves outside the playoff picture for the first time all season. (The Mets lead the Rockies 7-0, so yeah, the Braves probably need to actually catch a team to make the playoffs for the first time all year.)
Rotation doesn’t provide much rest
The Braves have taken every opportunity to give their rotation extra rest, but all it got them this series was an overworked bullpen. Bryce Elder, Chris Sale and Charlie Morton combined to allow 26 hits and 17 earned runs in 11 innings over the three games. Atlanta’s starters have failed to complete five innings in four-straight starts. That is the longest stretch since they had a five-game streak in September 2020, a year in which they sometimes had just one actual starter.
Nothing may change in the short term either. The Braves didn’t announce their pitching plans for this weekend in Colorado. Brian Snitker said after Thursday’s game that Grant Holmes will start Friday’s series opener in Colorado. The team hasn’t confirmed anyone beyond that. Ian Anderson had his scheduled start at Gwinnett scratched earlier this week as well. Word was that he will pitch Friday for Gwinnett, which would line him up to potentially make a start during the road trip in San Francisco. Of course, they could do something they’ve done multiple times already this season and just pitch Anderson on Friday despite indicating that Holmes would be the guy.
Outfield struggles
The pitching struggles in this series forced the Braves to make an early decision in their outfield. Michael Harris II is currently on a rehab assignment with Gwinnett and is slated to return sometime around August 14. Atlanta designated Eddie Rosario for assignment prior to Thursday’s game to open up a 40-man roster spot for Parker Dunshee, who served as a fresh but obviously ineffective arm for the bullpen in Thursday’s game. Eli White was also recalled to take Rosario’s spot and will likely hold on to it until Harris returns.
The outfield has been a huge drain on the team. The Braves have run out multiple options out there with little success. Entering Thursday, Ronald Acuña Jr. still led all Atlanta outfielders in with 1.0 fWAR and he hasn’t played a game in almost three months.
As the Braves continue to re-arrange the deck chairs on the Titanic that is their outfield, keep in mind Ronald Acuña Jr still leads all Braves outfielders in fWAR. He hasn’t played in 11 weeks pic.twitter.com/DrGyeNQp8J— Stephen (@b_outliers) August 8, 2024
Harris wasn’t setting the world on fire when he went down with a hamstring injury, but he will still be a huge upgrade over what they currently have.
Brian Snitker gets team’s first ejection
Brian Snitker was ejected in Wednesday’s game by home plate umpire Brian Walsh for arguing balls and strikes. That was the first ejection of the season for any member of the club. For Snitker, it was his 20th career ejection which is ninth among active managers.
Austin Riley still a bright spot offensively
There clearly weren’t many positives to take away from this series but Austin Riley continues to produce at the plate. Riley was 5-for-12 with a double and two homers in the series against the Brewers. Through seven games in August, Riley is 10-for-27 with three doubles and three homers. Even before homering on Thursday, his .366 xwOBA matches his .365 mark from last year (and .366 from 2022); the only reason his wRC+ isn’t above his career mark of 125 yet (it’s 123 through Thursday) is because of some massive xwOBA underperformance, much like many of his teammates.
<img alt="Milwaukee Brewers v Atlanta Braves" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OtA6VpnA20TsqsXGpNanHiihS8w=/0x0:7613x5075/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73510271/2165369646.0.jpg">
Photo by Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images
The Braves wrapped up one of their ugliest homestands in quite some time. Lately it feels like every one of these takeaway articles mentions the Atlanta Braves hitting rock bottom. If this isn’t it, then the rest of this season isn’t going to be much fun. You probably would need to go back to 2016 or 2017 to find a stretch where the Braves have played this poorly. You would need to go back to 2014 to find a stretch (and season) so disastrous to the franchise as a whole. The pitching staff has carried the team and kept them in contention since the start of May. This three-game series is a glimpse of what things would look like should the pitching falter.
This homestand had a little bit of everything and most of it was bad. The Braves endured a 24-inning scoreless stretch and were outscored 34-12 in the three games against Milwaukee. Thursday’s loss dropped them into a tie with the New York Mets for the final Wild Card spot. The Mets will play the Colorado Rockies later Thursday and a win would have the Braves outside the playoff picture for the first time all season. (The Mets lead the Rockies 7-0, so yeah, the Braves probably need to actually catch a team to make the playoffs for the first time all year.)
Rotation doesn’t provide much rest
The Braves have taken every opportunity to give their rotation extra rest, but all it got them this series was an overworked bullpen. Bryce Elder, Chris Sale and Charlie Morton combined to allow 26 hits and 17 earned runs in 11 innings over the three games. Atlanta’s starters have failed to complete five innings in four-straight starts. That is the longest stretch since they had a five-game streak in September 2020, a year in which they sometimes had just one actual starter.
Nothing may change in the short term either. The Braves didn’t announce their pitching plans for this weekend in Colorado. Brian Snitker said after Thursday’s game that Grant Holmes will start Friday’s series opener in Colorado. The team hasn’t confirmed anyone beyond that. Ian Anderson had his scheduled start at Gwinnett scratched earlier this week as well. Word was that he will pitch Friday for Gwinnett, which would line him up to potentially make a start during the road trip in San Francisco. Of course, they could do something they’ve done multiple times already this season and just pitch Anderson on Friday despite indicating that Holmes would be the guy.
Outfield struggles
The pitching struggles in this series forced the Braves to make an early decision in their outfield. Michael Harris II is currently on a rehab assignment with Gwinnett and is slated to return sometime around August 14. Atlanta designated Eddie Rosario for assignment prior to Thursday’s game to open up a 40-man roster spot for Parker Dunshee, who served as a fresh but obviously ineffective arm for the bullpen in Thursday’s game. Eli White was also recalled to take Rosario’s spot and will likely hold on to it until Harris returns.
The outfield has been a huge drain on the team. The Braves have run out multiple options out there with little success. Entering Thursday, Ronald Acuña Jr. still led all Atlanta outfielders in with 1.0 fWAR and he hasn’t played a game in almost three months.
As the Braves continue to re-arrange the deck chairs on the Titanic that is their outfield, keep in mind Ronald Acuña Jr still leads all Braves outfielders in fWAR. He hasn’t played in 11 weeks pic.twitter.com/DrGyeNQp8J— Stephen (@b_outliers) August 8, 2024
Harris wasn’t setting the world on fire when he went down with a hamstring injury, but he will still be a huge upgrade over what they currently have.
Brian Snitker gets team’s first ejection
Brian Snitker was ejected in Wednesday’s game by home plate umpire Brian Walsh for arguing balls and strikes. That was the first ejection of the season for any member of the club. For Snitker, it was his 20th career ejection which is ninth among active managers.
Austin Riley still a bright spot offensively
There clearly weren’t many positives to take away from this series but Austin Riley continues to produce at the plate. Riley was 5-for-12 with a double and two homers in the series against the Brewers. Through seven games in August, Riley is 10-for-27 with three doubles and three homers. Even before homering on Thursday, his .366 xwOBA matches his .365 mark from last year (and .366 from 2022); the only reason his wRC+ isn’t above his career mark of 125 yet (it’s 123 through Thursday) is because of some massive xwOBA underperformance, much like many of his teammates.
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