ATLANTA - The Braves finally found a little life on Thursday, and they may need every bit of it.
After a rough stretch that had the offense grinding in place, Atlanta scraped together enough in four swings to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 and avoid a sweep. That mattered because the bats had been quiet for days: the Braves scored just three runs over Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and the frustration was showing.
Mauricio Dubón, usually one of the upbeat voices in the clubhouse, snapped his bat over his thigh after lining out for the final out in Wednesday’s loss. A few days earlier in Philadelphia, Matt Olson - normally the calm one - slammed his helmet more than once as his own slump kept dragging on.
That backdrop makes the next series even bigger. The Braves open a three-game set Friday at home against the Phillies, and just like last weekend, Atlanta enters it with a four-game lead in the NL East.
“You learn a lot about yourself and good competition,” Braves hitting coach Tim Hyers said. “Those aces that we’ve been facing - it’s challenging, and hopefully we’ve learned from some of the guys we faced recently, and we’ll be better for it.”
Olson has been at the center of the offensive skid. Over his last seven games, he is 3-for-23 (.130), and the power has disappeared with it.
He has no extra-base hits and only one RBI during that span. Even with fewer strikeouts last weekend against Tampa Bay, he still hasn’t driven a ball for an extra-base hit since Sept.
- His average has fallen to .248, and his OPS sits at .826.
The swing has been a little off, especially in the swing plane and posture, but Olson has made adjustments over the last couple of nights that have helped him get back on track.
Atlanta didn’t exactly punish the Rays even when it hit the ball hard. Of 26 hard-hit balls against Tampa Bay, the Braves turned only six into hits.
Drake Baldwin had two of those, and both left the yard. Olson added a single off Nick Martinez on Thursday.
The Braves are counting on Olson to rediscover the damage he usually does. He still ranks fifth in MLB with 37 home runs and third with 70 extra-base hits.
“He’s our catalyst,” Hyers said. “He’s a guy that we depend on, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without him.”
The slump has not been limited to one hitter. Since Sept.
1, Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, Michael Harris II and Dubón have combined to go 20-for-122. Ronald Acuña Jr., meanwhile, has quietly been the one carrying more of the load lately, hitting .333 with three home runs and nine RBIs this month after not looking quite like the version Atlanta is used to seeing.
The bigger picture has been ugly, too. Since Aug. 1, the Braves own a .680 OPS, which ranks 25th.
Their 131 runs over that span rank 29th, and their 38 homers rank 18th. That has left the pitching staff with very little room for error.
Since Monday’s 2-0 loss to the Phillies, when Atlanta was blanked by Luzardo in a complete-game shutout, Braves starters have gotten just four runs of support.
The schedule has not offered much relief either. Four of the Braves’ last six opponents have been the Brewers, Dodgers, Rays and Phillies, and those rotations rank second, sixth, seventh and 11th in the majors in ERA.
“You want to have a good offense,” Baldwin said. “I think (Wednesday), some of the stuff in the box didn’t exactly show all the at-bats we had. It felt like we put some good swings on balls, just happened to go right at people.”
Now comes another heavyweight stretch. Atlanta’s rotation against Philadelphia is set to feature Chris Sale, Tyler Mahle and Grant Holmes. The Phillies are lined up with Zack Wheeler, Jesús Luzardo and Aaron Nola.
And the test does not get any easier after that. The Braves’ next two opponents after the Phillies are the Cubs, who are a game behind the top NL Wild Card spot, and the Astros, who are holding a three-game lead in the AL West. Atlanta will see the stronger version of both clubs.
“We’re facing good teams, so every at-bat is that much harder,” Baldwin said Wednesday. “This is the type of people that we want to face in October. So, (it’s about) getting to go through the stretch and fight our way out of it.”
In Other News...
Braves Suddenly Have An Outfield Problem They Didnt Plan For
Lane Thomas was already fighting for his place in Atlantas outfield mix, and now the Braves have to navigate life without him for at least a stretch after placing him on the injured list with an intercostal injury. Since arriving, Thomas has struggled to get much going at the plate, batting .171/.261/.317 in 21 games, and the injury only adds to the uncertainty around how often he would have played even if he had stayed healthy.
For a club that has leaned on depth to get through the season, losing another outfield option is more than a small inconvenience. It tightens the margin on the bench and could force the Braves to shuffle the roster to cover innings and at-bats in the outfield, especially while they try to sort out who can handle regular work and who might simply be insurance. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Just Took Another Hit To Their Pitching Depth
The Braves saw another bit of pitching depth slip away when the Giants claimed right-hander Duncan Davitt off waivers and sent him to Triple-A Sacramento. San Francisco cleared room on its 40-man roster by designating Spencer Bivens for assignment, a reminder of how quickly these fringe arm transactions can ripple through a bullpen picture this time of year.
Atlantas interest, of course, is less about the Giants paperwork than its own October posture. The club placed Bryce Elder on the injured list while activating Reynaldo Lpez, a move that keeps the big-league staff aligned for the postseason but also underscores how thin the cushion can be when injuries and roster churn hit at the same time. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Add Catching Depth As Their October Plan Gets More Interesting
The Braves added another layer to their catching picture on September 1, signing Eric Haase to a minor league contract and sending him to their Florida complex. It is the kind of low-risk move that can matter in September, especially for a team always trying to keep its roster flexible as the calendar turns toward October. Atlanta already views Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy as its catching duo, but the addition of Haase gives the club another experienced name to keep in the mix.
Haase has been around the block this season, having played for three organizations, including the Giants and White Sox. His appeal has always been obvious enough: real power from a catcher, even if the strikeouts have come with it. If the Braves decide they want him available for the postseason, he is eligible as long as the paperwork is filed by the league deadline, leaving at least one more roster decision hanging as the October picture comes into focus. [Read more 🡒]