One Third Less
The Braves have split the last two series’. Last week they took two of three from the Phillies, an important win for an otherwise rudderless Braves. That series win and the hope it introduced seem distant now, if I’m being honest. Atlanta is firmly in the “one step forward, two steps back” region of MLB team rankings. I know it’s early. I know it’s an incredibly long season. I also know what they’re struggling with isn’t fixed with adjustments. It’s a matter of the hits start falling, the ball Carrie’s an extra two inches, the rikishi finds green grass instead of a charging shortstop or dugout.
If you haven’t picked up on the vibes by now, the Braves lost the series following the Phillies. It was ugly too. Not even in the sense that they struggled mightily. It was ugly in that every game was the exact same, the one win just happened to have more breaks the Braves way instead of Tampa Bay.
The pitching has been…yikes. Chris Sale doesn’t look like close to last season. Right now he wouldn’t even pass for 2024 Chris Sale’s less talented cousin. They ain’t related. The bullpen is about as good at holding a lead as a fish net is at holding water. And the lineup.