The Braves had one of those nights where nothing ever really gets going. After a travel day Monday, they turned in a flat 4-0 loss to the Reds in a game that never felt especially close, even if it didn’t carry much weight in the standings.
The brightest spot came from JR Ritchie, who gave Atlanta a strong case for optimism. He didn’t change up his pitch mix or sequencing the way some might have hoped, but he still carved through a weak Reds lineup and turned in what may have been his best start yet.
If he winds up on the playoff roster, he could fit as a lower-leverage arm with a nine-batter maximum. If not, this outing still gives him something real to take into the offseason.
Ritchie was sharp right away. He struck out the side in the first inning, though Elly De La Cruz also drew a walk.
In the second, he added two more strikeouts and ran his early K/BB mark to 5/1 through nine batters. The third inning brought more trouble: De La Cruz got him for a two-out, two-run homer with the bases empty, and an errant walk followed before Ritchie ended the frame with another strikeout.
He finished with two more strikeouts and one more walk, again to De La Cruz, across five innings. His final line was an 8/3 K/BB ratio over 22 batters, and the outing came with a sub-3.00 xFIP - his best in a multi-inning appearance in his career and better than his MLB debut, which had been his previous high-water mark.
One homer allowed is also better than two.
After that, the game mostly drifted. Owen Murphy worked three innings and allowed two home runs, finishing with a 1/0 K/BB ratio. Didier Fuentes then breezed through a tune-up inning in the ninth.
Brandon Williamson, meanwhile, got the kind of help that can make an outing look better than it really was. He held Atlanta scoreless for six innings and turned in one of the best performances of his injury-hit career, and easily his strongest showing since shoulder and elbow issues slowed him in 2024.
Coming into the night, Williamson had thrown only 58 innings from 2024 onward. Still, this wasn’t entirely a case of him overpowering the Braves.
He managed just a 2/0 K/BB ratio, and Atlanta posted a .176 BABIP while he was on the mound. There were several hard-hit balls right at defenders, plus one that was barreled out.
Atlanta made a half-hearted push once Williamson left after six. The first two batters reached in the seventh, putting the tying run at the plate, but Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris II, and Mauricio Dubon came up empty.
Albies entered the game with a rough .280 xWOBA against left-handers, and even the production he’s getting there only adds up to a 99 wRC+ in a split he’s usually owned, so batting him cleanup against a southpaw doesn’t exactly look like a bold statement anymore. The Braves loaded the bases in the eighth to bring Matt Olson up as the tying run, but he fouled out.
Harris later doubled on a barrel in the ninth, but that was as close as Atlanta got.
One other note from the night: Ronald Acuña Jr. left partway through after fouling a ball off his lower leg. He was seen jumping down the clubhouse steps, which suggested more of a why push it situation than anything else, though he could wind up getting a few days off for the same reason.
In Other News...
Braves Fans Got A Clearer Look At Who Helped Gwinnett Matter
The Gwinnett Stripers finished their minor league season at 76-73, giving Braves followers a useful look at a farm club that stayed relevant deep into the summer. Gwinnett was one of just two Atlanta affiliates to post a winning record in 2026, and that mattered because the Stripers were often the organizations most visible proving ground for players moving up, moving through, or trying to get back on track.
Brewer Hicklen and Owen Murphy ended up taking the top honors, with Hicklen earning hitter of the year after a .302 season with 18 home runs and 30 stolen bases, and Murphy named pitcher of the year after working to a 3.07 ERA with 94 strikeouts. The broader picture was just as encouraging for Atlanta, with several other contributors turning in notable seasons and a number of major leaguers passing through Gwinnett along the way, giving Braves fans a clearer sense of who helped keep the affiliate mattering. [Read more 🡒]
Walt Weiss Built A Braves Case Voters May Be Ignoring
The Braves got back to the top of the division in 2026 under first-year manager Walt Weiss, and the case for his work is easy to see when you look at the circumstances surrounding the season. Atlanta had to navigate major injuries to key players and plenty of strain on the starting rotation, yet still finished with 92 wins and its first division title since 2023.
Pat Murphy is still the favorite for NL Manager of the Year, but Weiss has built a resume that deserves more attention than it has gotten. First-year manager, depleted roster, division crown, 92 wins - it adds up to a strong argument for voters who tend to reward the obvious success stories and overlook the steady job behind them. [Read more 🡒]
Robert Suarez Has Become A Huge Braves October Decision
Robert Suarez took another step back toward Atlanta on Sunday, turning in a scoreless inning for Gwinnett and flashing the kind of velocity the Braves have been waiting to see as he works his way back from injury. With the minor-league season now over, the clubs next move is more about timing and trust than pure rehab, and general manager Alex Anthopoulos said Suarez is likely to be activated soon, perhaps by midweek.
For the Braves, the question is whether that means enough to make him part of the postseason picture. October roster spots are hard to earn this late in the process, especially for a reliever still proving his body is ready, and Suarezs return will force the front office and coaching staff to weigh upside against certainty as they settle on the group they want for the postseason. [Read more 🡒]