Coming into Wednesday night, the Braves had lost four of their last five and were starting to see the red-hot Phillies approach in the rearview mirror. Offensive production has not been the primary concern with the squad all season, and it is safe to say that is still the case after they thrashed the Marlins by a remarkable scoreline of 29-9 in the series finale.
Their 29 runs plated is the most in modern National League history and just one shy of the overall record set by the Rangers in 2007 (interestingly, Atlanta outfielder Nick Markakis was on the losing side that day). It also catapulted them from third in the MLB in runs to first before the Padres retook the lead later in the evening.
A MAGNIFICENT RETURN
Before the game, the big storyline was the return of All-Star second baseman Ozzie Albies, who missed 30 games with a wrist injury. As the night went on, other players were thrust into the spotlight, but Albies went 3-6 with a home run and 3 RBI and looked more comfortable at the plate than he did in the eleven games prior to landing on the injured list.
Johan Camargo never got things going offensively in Ozzie’s absence, slashing just .200/.244/.367 while sporting a 27.6% strikeout rate. He was optioned to the alternate training site on Wednesday, and he will once again have to prove to the Atlanta coaching staff why he deserves at bats moving forward.
3-IN-1…AGAIN?!
Adam Duvall has been a mainstay in Brian Snitker’s lineup this season, and he continued to validate that with a monstrous 3-4, 3 HR, 9 RBI showing against the Marlins. Remember, Duvall hit three home runs in a game just eight days prior against the Red Sox, and he became the first Braves player ever to do it multiple times. The outfielder’s XSLG of .574 means he will continue to be relied upon to produce in the middle of the order.
SHINING STARS
The two men at the top of the lineup, Ronald Acuña Jr and Freddie Freeman, have set the pace for the offense whenever they have played and kept that trend going on Wednesday. Combining for 6 H, 11 RBI, and 6 R, they are both among the best in baseball in OPS, with Freeman coming in second (1.047) and Acuña Jr (1.081) not eligible to be ranked yet because of his time missed due to injury.
This Braves offense should be able to hang around with anyone come playoff time, especially with guys like Travis d’Arnaud, Dansby Swanson, and Austin Riley contributing on top of the established stars.
MILONE REMAINS WINLESS
Despite all of the positives from this contest, starting pitching continues to plague the team that decided not to add any frontline or middle-of-the-rotation starters at the trade deadline. Tommy Milone went just 3.1 IP, surrendering 8 H and 8 ER with 2 BB, and is now winless in three starts in Atlanta. Shockingly, the crafty left-hander has started two games with the Braves where they scored 10+ runs in an inning and still failed to record the win in either one (first time in the modern era).
Kyle Wright was recalled to make the Tuesday start, as the front office and coaches believed he had made enough adjustments at the alternate site to warrant another chance. His line of 4.0 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 2 BB suggests otherwise, and it is clear that the Braves need something out of Cole Hamels, Mike Foltynewicz, or perhaps Tucker Davidson in the next two months.
Further compounding the rotation problems, ace Max Fried went on the IL with a muscle spasm retroactive to 9/6 after his velocity appeared to be down in his Saturday start. He should be back soon, but they cannot afford to be without the man who has carried the rotation on his back for very long or else they risk losing the division lead and better seeding in the all-important 3-game Wild Card round.
Sitting at 25-18 with a two-game lead over the Phillies, the Braves have the opportunity to finish strong with one of the easiest strengths of schedule in the final 17 games. The Phillies and Marlins, the two real threats to their division crown, also play each other seven times in the next five days, which should play into the Braves’ hands. As we saw last night, this team is still capable of the kind of magic that makes them World Series contenders. They just need to put it all together when it matters most.
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