The Atlanta Braves are once again grappling with disappointment after enduring their second seven-game losing streak of the current season. While the first stumble could have been brushed off as a mere early-season hiccup, this recurring slump has raised concerns about the outlook for the Braves’ season, which was initially filled with high hopes due to its roster full of superstars.
The Braves’ latest 4-3 loss at the hands of San Francisco has left them 10 games under the .500 mark and 9 1/2 games adrift of the National League’s last playoff position. Although they haven’t been excluded from postseason action since 2017, their current trajectory leaves them little room for further setbacks.
Atlanta’s season commenced with an 0-7 score, but resilience saw them battle back to an equilibrium of wins and losses over six weeks. Unfortunately, their efforts unraveled as they succumbed to another sequence of seven detrimental losses in the past week. Particularly painful was a collapse against Arizona, where the Diamondbacks overturned a deficit by scoring seven runs in the ninth inning to win 11-10. In response to their spiraling form, the Braves brought back reliever Craig Kimbrel from the minors. However, after a single appearance, he faced an uncertain future.
The previous season saw Atlanta navigate injuries to key players like Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider, yet still make it to the playoffs. While the duo is back in action, only Acuña seems to be performing well. Strider has struggled, losing all five of his starts thus far. Furthermore, the team is part of a small group in Major League Baseball with more games lost due to blown saves (12) than games won via saves (10).
Nonetheless, optimism isn’t entirely absent for Braves fans. Their 9-19 record in one-run games offers a glimmer of hope — slight improvements could yield significant transformations in their fortunes. Additionally, the team boasts a positive run differential overall. Despite these silver linings, the Braves are lagging 14 games behind the division-leading New York Mets in the NL East.
Currently positioned fourth, the Braves find themselves equidistant from the bottom-standing Miami Marlins and the third-place Washington Nationals.
In other baseball news, Pete Alonso of the New York Mets is closing in on surpassing Darryl Strawberry for the franchise’s career home run record. Among active players, only a few hold the home-run-leading titles for their respective teams. These are notable records in the sport.
Seattle’s George Kirby offered a headline moment over the weekend by striking out 14 batters and allowing only two hits over seven innings, steering his team to a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. This performance ended Seattle’s losing streak, offering hope that Kirby may be finding his stride after missing the season’s start due to shoulder injuries.
Highlighting remarkable comebacks, the Diamondbacks’ stunning rally saw them prevail despite a seemingly insurmountable 0.1% win probability margin at the beginning of their ninth inning. They amassed several crucial hits, turning the deficit into a leading score.
Turning to trivia, Mike Trout holds the Angels’ all-time home run record with 388 home runs. Giancarlo Stanton, who now plays for the Yankees, has the Marlins’ record with 267 home runs, and Manny Machado leads for the Padres with 177.