The Braves are back in must-win territory Wednesday night, and there’s no room left to waste a good pitching performance or a quiet inning at the plate. Atlanta has to beat the Dodgers at Truist Park to stay alive, force a Game 5, and send the series back to Los Angeles. Anything less, and the postseason is over.
After Tuesday’s loss, the biggest question hanging over the Braves is whether the offense can finally find a pulse. The club needs a spark, and it needs it fast. Atlanta is searching for the kind of timely hit that can flip a tight game in an instant, whether it comes from a pinch hitter or one of the established stars in the lineup.
Speaking with FOX 5 Atlanta at The Battery, 680 The Fan host Chris Dimino said the identity of the hero doesn’t matter nearly as much as the result.
"It’s funny, I don’t know and I don’t care. I need it to be somebody," Chris Dimino said when asked who needs to step up.
He also pointed to how little margin exists in a game like this.
"If you’re in a game and it’s a one and two run game, you’re always just one guy on one swing away."
The atmosphere figures to be loud again, with another packed crowd expected at Truist Park. Fans are returning after a night that included boos for former Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, who homered for the Dodgers on Tuesday.
The scene around the ballpark starts building well before first pitch. A block party at The Battery Atlanta begins at 3:30 p.m., stadium gates open at 4 p.m., and the game is set for 6 p.m.
In Other News...
Braves Shortstop Debate Is Back And One Name Sits At Center
The Braves are already sorting through an offseason shaped by an NL Division Series exit at the hands of the Dodgers, and the list of decisions is longer than just a few roster tweaks. With Tyler Mahle and Mauricio Dubon among the players heading toward free agency, Atlanta may have some priorities on the retention side, but the most intriguing discussion may be the one surrounding shortstop and whether the club wants to keep leaning on Ha-Seong Kim.
Kims year did not give the Braves much reason to settle the debate quickly, and that leaves the position squarely in play as the front office maps out the next step. Atlanta has options to weigh and other areas to address, but shortstop now feels like one of the spots where a new direction is at least on the table, making this one of the more revealing choices of the winter. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Offseason Mistakes Left Atlanta Exposed When October Finally Hit
Atlantas postseason unraveling against the Dodgers did not happen in a vacuum. It traced back to the way the front office tried to patch together the roster last winter, from searching for a shortstop answer to trying to stabilize left field and build enough starting pitching depth to survive October.
Ha-Seong Kim was supposed to help solve one problem in the infield, while Jurickson Profar was part of the outfield plan, and the Braves also bet they had enough on the mound to carry them through the grind. Instead, the offense never found the kind of rhythm Atlanta needed in the NLDS, and the pitching staff did not have much room for error when the games tightened up against Los Angeles. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Offseason Could Turn On A Few Familiar Free Agent Calls
The Braves offseason may end up coming down to a handful of familiar names, and that makes the decisions feel both practical and precarious. Ha-Seong Kim, Raisel Iglesias, Mauricio Dubon and Tyler Mahle are all in the mix as pending free agents, giving Atlanta a set of options that ranges from dependable bullpen help to versatile depth and rotation upside. With a lockout looming and free-agent spending still clouded by uncertainty, even straightforward roster planning could get pushed into a waiting game.
Among those possibilities, the Braves are weighing performance, fit and cost against a market that may not make life easy. Kim brings a different type of roster flexibility, Dubon offers versatility, and Mahle represents a pitching gamble that could quickly get pricey. Atlanta has reasons to keep talking to several of them, but the real challenge may be deciding which familiar call is worth making first when the market finally opens up. [Read more 🡒]