The Braves’ offensive issues were highlighted following their sweeping of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Matt Olson of the Atlanta Braves watches a baseball game on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Seattle versus the Seattle Mariners. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/AP)
Written by Gabriel Burns
ten hours before
ANGELESIn a thrilling game spanning many innings on Friday, the Braves and Dodgers appeared to be on an equal footing, raising the stakes beyond those of a normal May evening. It raised hopes that the two days of perfect baseball would follow.
Rather, the Dodgers utterly destroyed the Braves, defeating them 16-3 to finish the sweep. With the best record in MLB, the Braves arrived in Los Angeles. They are now at least one and a half games behind the Phillies in the National League East as they travel home.
It was both familiar and strange at the same time. Clarifying the mystery:
This writer was a Braves beat reporter from mid-2018 to mid-2021, and the team finished 1-10 at Dodger Stadium, including the postseason. The years 2019 and 2021 were washed. It was therefore not unusual to hear Randy Newman following each last out. However, I can’t recall a series like this one where the Braves appeared so powerful.
The unfamiliar: Observing this squad try miserably to get the ball over the fence while fumbling at the plate. The Braves, whose brilliant offensive has helped them win 100 games in a row, had moments this weekend when they appeared all but hopeless.
However, it wasn’t limited to Dodger Stadium. The Braves are currently on an unusual two-week run. In their last 14 games, they have only scored more than five runs once (they averaged 6.44 runs in the previous 18 games). They scored 14 runs on the 1–5 road trip in addition to six runs this weekend, one of which came via ghost runner on Friday.
James Paxton, a southpaw for the Dodgers, walked almost seven batters in nine innings before he was lifted to the mound to a standing ovation on Sunday.
That should tell you everything you ought to know.
Right now, the Dodgers are superior to the Braves, but not by this much. We never truly saw this weaker, more reserved version of the Braves during the 2023 regular season. A few series here and there, certainly, but not across several weeks.
Recall last September, when the Braves offense nearly broke records every day? Do you recall when the Braves visited Dodger Stadium and won three out of four games that same month? Heck, recall when the Braves won 11 out of 12 a few weeks ago?
Even more evident than the San Gabriel Mountains, which served as Dodger Stadium’s background on Sunday, is this: At the moment, the Braves aren’t the same team. They are a far cry from the squad from even the previous season, let alone three weeks ago.
