Atlanta’s offense needs a jumpstart as they continue their series in Seattle against the Mariners.
The Atlanta Braves will be looking to get their offense back on track Tuesday night when they continue a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners. The Braves suffered a disappointing loss in the opener Monday where they carried a no-hitter late into the game, but saw the Mariners rally in the ninth for a 2-1 win. Reynaldo Lopez will get the start for Atlanta Tuesday while Seattle will go with righty Luis Castillo.
The offensive frustrations for Atlanta are mounting. They led the majors in nearly every offensive category in 2023 and got off to a great start this season. However, the bats have cooled of late. Over their last 10 games, the Braves are hitting .228/.313/.367 with a 93 wRC+ as a team. They are 13th in the majors in runs scored over that span and are 17th in home runs with nine.
It is also fair to point out that the pitching staff has stepped up during this stretch and the Braves are 7-3 over this stretch. Atlanta still ranks fifth in runs scored as a team and are tied for second in the majors with a 120 wRC+. So while the offense has lagged recently, they have often done just enough to get by.
Dig a little deeper and you see that it is the upper part of the lineup that is most responsible. Ronald Acuña Jr. is 7-for-38 over his last 10 games and has struck out 13 times. 10 of those strikeouts by Acuña have come in his last five games. Austin Riley had the game-winner on Sunday, but is just 4-for-37 during the stretch. Matt Olson has similar numbers going 3-for-33 with 12 strikeouts. Acuña, Riley and Olson have combined for just two extra-base hits over the last 10 games.
The Mariners are a tough matchup when it comes to trying to jumpstart an offense. Bryce Miller was impressive in the opener Monday. Veteran Luis Castillo will get the nod on Tuesday and has historically been tough on the Braves with a 2.25 ERA and a 2.63 FIP across five career starts. Castillo hasn’t faced Atlanta since 2022, but has allowed just two runs over his last 25 1⁄3 innings, including the playoffs, against the Braves.
While Atlanta’s offense has struggled, the pitching staff has stabilized after an up and down start. Max Fried tossed six more shutout innings in Monday’s opener. They will look to keep that going with Lopez on Tuesday. Lopez’s move to the rotation has been one of the best stories of the season for Atlanta so far. He logged a season-best seven innings in his last start while allowing three hits and one run to the Marlins. Lopez has logged at least six innings in all four of his starts. One thing to perhaps keep an eye on is that Tuesday will be Lopez’s first start of the season where he is on regular four days of rest.
Tuesday’s game has a scheduled start time of 9:40 p.m. ET and can be seen on Bally Sports Southeast.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, April 30, 9:40 p.m. ET
Location: T-Mobile Park, Seattle, Washington
TV: Bally Sports Southeast
Streaming: MLB.tv
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan