Acuña keeps making historyĪcuña became the first player in history with at least 20 homers and 50 steals before August, and he’s on pace for 39 homers and 78 stolen bases. That’s why a back-end reliever seems like the biggest need for a Braves team that has the majors’ best record (66-36) and by far the largest division lead, an 11-game bulge over Philadelphia and 11 1/2 games over third-place Miami. They were two of their best and most dependable relievers before getting hurt. While a few relievers have continued to excel, the bullpen as a whole hasn’t looked like the lockdown unit it did for much of the first half, and the Braves can’t count on getting lefty Dylan Lee or veteran Jesse Chavez back at full capacity when they return after long IL stints. Elder has bounced back from his worst two starts - consecutive outings before and after the All-Star break - with two solid outings in a row, both against Milwaukee. When Fried is back, it would give the Braves a starting quartet of Fried, All-Stars Spencer Strider and Elder, and Charlie Morton, with the fifth spot continuing to be a revolving situation among a few starters, until Kyle Wright returns from the IL in September. Rookie AJ Smith-Shawver will be recalled to start Sunday’s series finale. He pitched 4 1/3 innings in his fourth rehab start Saturday for Triple-A Gwinnett, allowing five hits, two runs and two walks with four strikeouts in 79 pitches. Max Fried, last season’s NL Cy Young runner-up, is expected back from the IL next week. Hearn made his Braves debut in the eighth inning Saturday and it did not go well at all: He faced five batters, got one out, and gave up two hits, four runs and two walks, with the big blow a three-run homer by former Brave William Contreras that sent Hearn to the showers. Minter expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list Monday, and despite the additions of relievers Pierce Johnson and lefty Taylor Hearn in trades last week. The Braves could solidify the rotation with a back-end starter for the stretch drive, but that doesn’t seem as much of a need as the bullpen, where they could certainly use another high-leverage reliever - even with lefty A.J. If the Braves don’t think there’s any need to add a left fielder - if they think Rosario and Kevin Pillar can get the job done - then it presumably allows Anthopoulos to focus on adding pitching before the deadline. “It’s a long season, but they keep making adjustments, and you can tell, it’s going their way.” “I think they’re doing a great job,” Acuña said through a translator. If they are back on track, the Braves wouldn’t have any significant offensive need. Rosario in June had nine homers and a team-best 1.115 OPS, and Ozuna, who was dreadful in April, hit. Either that or a hitter who could play some left field and DH at times if Ozuna continued to struggle, since the Braves prefer not to use one of their catchers at DH on a frequent basis, especially in the throes of the hot summer months.īut after the past two nights, it might be time to strike that. With the trade deadline coming Tuesday, there has been some angst among Braves fans hoping that Alex Anthopoulos, GM and president of baseball operations, would acquire a hitter to help fortify left field. It’s a pretty dangerous offense when we have those guys swinging the bat, too.” It takes a lot of pressure off the guys at the top, and lengthens our lineup obviously. Snitker added of the work of Ozuna and Rosario, “It sure helps when those guys are clicking and doing what they’re capable of doing. “We’re gonna get a lot of production out of the top of our lineup, and Marcel and Eddie, when those guys are going, I don’t think anybody can beat us.” “I think those two guys right there are the difference-makers for us,” said the Braves’ Bryce Elder, who limited the Brewers to four hits and one run in seven innings Saturday, with no walks and three strikeouts. Not bad for two guys who’d been the weak spots in the lineup this month. 154 with 10 RBIs in July before going 4-for-8 with two doubles, a homer and three RBIs Friday and 4-for-8 with a double, three homers and six RBIs Saturday. Between them, Ozuna and Rosario hit a combined. 6 and 7 hitters go like they have the past two nights, the Braves really go. “It’s one of those things - he goes, we go.”Īnd when his Nos. “I mean, it’s amazing, when he’s going,” Snitker said of Acuña. The Braves also got a typically robust performance from star leadoff man Ronald Acuña Jr., who was 3-for-4 with a home run and his 50th stolen base. Eddie Rosario hits a double in the second inning.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |