Braves At A Crossroads With Game # 108
The Atlanta Braves finished play on August 1, 2024 with a 59-49 record, six games behind first place Philadelphia in the NL East. The Braves hold a slim lead for the first wild card spot, one game over the Padres and two games over the Mets. The Mets!
The Braves started the season well, going 17-8 in April, after a 2-1 March. But since May 1 they have been a .500 team in sum.
Most of that sub -par performance is given to injuries. Their best position player, Ronald Acuna went out in May with a torn ACL. Their best pitcher Spencer Stryker, went out on April 5 with an arm injury. Both are lost for 2024.
But those two are just the most significant. Others from last year's offensive juggernaut who have missed significant time to injury include Riley, Murphy, Arcia, Albies and Harris.
On the pitching staff, there's Fried, Lopez and Minter who have missed time with injury. Taken en masse, that's a big hurdle to handle for Brian Snitker. But somehow his Braves are in the mix, and two recent additions, Jorge Soler and Luke Jackson, bring fresh hope. Each was last here in 2021 when the Braves won the World Series in six games over the Houston Astros.
Tonight's game marked the 2/3 portion of the regular season. The Braves know all too well that a Division title brings no guarantees. In fact, it brings really only a thin advantage, one that can be erased with one ''away" win by the wild card team. That said, the Braves still must make the wild card group of three in order to continue in the postseason tournament.
If they can make it in, their top starters of Fried, Sale and Lopez figure to give them a fighting chance. That's assuming that these pitchers can make it to October without injury or fatigue. Since Fried and Lopez are currently on the Injured List, the tenuous nature of this " plan" is readily apparent.
Even so, the Braves have the horses to hold on, and make a realistic run at another division title. They have seven games remaining against the Phillies, three at home and four there. They finish with Philadelphia for the regular season on September 1.
Unlike most of July, the Braves over the past week have hit better, especially for power. They've also played better overall baseball, with fewer errors and more savvy on baserunning. Coupled with better pitching recently , and with Fried and Lopez expected back within a week or two, there is good reason for optimism.
Patrick Conarro
RamblinSports.com