NEW YORK – On Thursday, the Braves lost in brutal fashion. On Friday, they were crushed.
They went into the weekend on a six-game losing streak, their longest in almost seven years.
They responded by handling the Mets over the final two games to salvage a split of this four-game series. This was the best-case scenario after such a disappointing start to the series here at Citi Field.
On Sunday, Atlanta won, 9-2, to leave New York on a positive note.
Well, except for this large negative: Reynaldo López departed after three innings due to forearm tightness. Even when the Braves had two great days, they still had to receive bad news.
The Braves now head to Milwaukee for three games.
Five observations:
1. For a game against left-handed David Peterson, Braves manager Brian Snitker stacked his lineup with righties. Adam Duvall hit leadoff. Travis d’Arnaud, Ramón Laureano, Nacho Alvarez Jr., Orlando Arcia and Luke Williams rounded out the group after Matt Olson, who was the only left-handed hitter in the order.
This lineup didn’t compare to some of the potent batting orders the Braves have fielded over the last couple seasons.
So, of course this lineup hung nine runs on the Mets – Atlanta’s highest-scoring game since June 15, when the club scored nine against the Rays.
“I love how the guys stepped up today,” Snitker said. “They lost their starter and they came out, and everybody answered the call, pretty much. Bullpen guys. Offense stepped up, kind of picked up their guy. That was a good win for our team right there.”
In a four-run fourth inning, Matt Olson sent a ball to the upper deck in right field for a three-run shot off Peterson – Olson’s second homer in as many days. The Braves homered three more times as they buried the Mets, who had won five in a row before the Braves beat them on Saturday.
This is the type of punch the Braves needed following a six-game skid.
“Yeah, it’s good,” Snitker said. “Maybe we’re breathing some life into that offense, which would be really good.”
2. López, whose last four-seam fastball registered at 97.4 mph, showed no signs of an injury. But such is the 2024 season for the Braves. Bad news is always around the corner on the injury front.
The Braves sent López back to Atlanta for an MRI before the game even ended. The club did so hoping for good news on its All-Star starter, who’s been a revelation after spending a few years as a reliever.
“Yeah, you know, it stinks,” Matt Olson said. “Hopefully, the best for him. He’s obviously been a big part of what we’ve done this year and he’s been a horse for us. It sucks. It kind of feels like every week or every other week, we’re getting some bad news, so definitely hoping for the best here.”
López didn’t appear crisp over three scoreless innings, but he never gave any indication that he was hurt. Thus, it was a surprise to see Dylan Lee warming up in the bullpen in the top of the fourth.
Snitker said he didn’t know when López began feeling the forearm tightness.
“I just know the inning that he came out, (Marcell) Ozuna said he was down there in the tunnel,” Snitker said. “I’m glad (López) said something. You just don’t know about those things until you get the pictures.”
3. Before the series finale against Cincinnati, Olson had hit .149 over his previous 31 games, with only two home runs.
He’s, um, heating up.
Over his last five games, including Sunday, he’s 7-for-20 with two homers and four RBIs. This stretch includes back-to-back multi-hit games.
“Still just gonna be working to have consistent at-bats every time, but seeing results is good,” Olson said. “Contributing, helping the team win is always gonna be a plus, and something that keeps you going.”
4. From the middle of Friday’s game until the eighth inning on Sunday, Braves pitchers had combined for 20 scoreless innings. They shut out the Mets on Saturday, and almost did it again in the finale.
“All year, they’ve been great,” Olson said. “There’s very few games that it’s just been (them) getting hit around. Kept us in every ballgame, it feels like. Can’t say enough about the things they’ve done. Definitely bailing out the offense here and there. We’re trying to return that favor.”
The Braves listed Grant Holmes as their starter for Monday’s series opener in Milwaukee. Holmes has been a part of their bullpen, but five of his 10 appearances have been three innings or more. (He hit 3 1/3 innings once.) And in Triple A before Atlanta called him up, he was stretched out.
“I don’t know how far he’ll let us take him, but he has been stretched out and he’s had all the multiples here even, like three-plus (innings) and things like that,” Snitker said. “So I feel pretty good about him shortening the game for us.”
5. On Friday, the Mets bolstered their bullpen by acquiring Ryne Stanek from the Mariners. And on Sunday, he left to boos from the home crowd.
The Braves pulverized him.
Orlando Arcia greeted Stanek by homering on his third pitch. Stanek hit Duvall with his sixth pitch. Riley sent his seventh pitch into the seats for a two-run home run.
Seven pitches, three runs.
In the eighth inning, Ramón Laureano launched a two-run shot off a different reliever. It gave the Braves a 9-0 lead. It also furthered Laureano’s redemption – he also threw out a runner at home – following Thursday’s rough 10th inning.
Maybe the last couple of offensive performances represent some momentum?
“We’ll see,” Snitker said. “I’ll let you know in about 10 days.”
Stat to know
2.06 - López leads all qualified starting pitchers with a 2.06 ERA.
Quotable
“The pitching was great. I kind of felt like we could’ve won three out of four in this (series) real easy.”-Snitker
Up next
Grant Holmes will start for the Braves in Monday’s series opener versus right-hander Colin Rea and the Brewers. First pitch is at 8:10 p.m.
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