The Braves captured a much-needed series win and saw their offense come to life against the Rays.
The Atlanta Braves rallied from a 6-2 deficit Sunday but eventually fell 8-6, snapping their three-game winning streak. Still, there were a lot of positives to take away from the weekend. The series win was their first since taking two of three against Oakland on the previous homestand.
Austin Riley heating up
It feels like we have been waiting all season for Austin Riley to get going. Riley entered the three-game series against Tampa with three homers and then doubled his output by homering in all three games of the series.
Riley had six hits in the series, including the three homers, and a double in Friday’s opener. His homer Sunday tied the game in the eighth and was an emotional moment for Riley, who learned that former Braves hitting instructor Mike Brumley was killed in an automobile accident over night.
Riley told MLB.com’s Mark Bowman that other than his dad, Brumley was the most influential contributor to his success.
Despite missing a decent chunk of the season to date, Riley was towards the top of the league in barreled outs. Having those barrels become homers is just what he and the Braves needed to get back on track.
Returning to a five-man rotation
Hurston Waldrep struggled again Sunday, allowing five hits, six runs and four walks in just 3 1/3 innings. While he has flashed potential, he isn’t ready to start in the majors, at least not without extreme handling that pulls him at the first (or second, or third) sign of trouble. Brian Snitker said after the game that they were going to send Waldrep back to Triple-A and would add another arm for the bullpen.
The Braves have Spencer Schwellenbach scheduled to pitch Tuesday’s game against Detroit. There is an off day Thursday before the Braves head back out on the road. Atlanta will go back to a five man rotation for the time being. Snitker said they would monitor things on a day-to-day basis.
One possibility for tomorrow’s roster move might be A.J. Minter, who is eligible to return from the Injured List. Minter was on the field playing long toss prior to Sunday’s game.
Homers finally arrive
We have been waiting all season for the Braves’ power bats to return. Atlanta homered nine times in the three-game series against Tampa Bay.
Their four homers in Saturday’s game tied their season high for a single game. The Braves hit four or more homers in a single game 20 different times in 2023, which was seven more times than any other club.
Entering the series, Atlanta was 20th in the majors in homers. After Sunday’s game, they are in 13th place with 75 for the season. They haven’t completely undone the early-season damage to their rate of barrels going for hits and homers, but it was a good start.
Marcell Ozuna keeping pace
Marcell Ozuna went hitless Sunday to snap a five-game hitting streak. He homered in the first two games of the series, giving him a National League best 20 for the season. He’s the seventh different player in franchise history to hit 20 home runs through the club’s first 68 games and the first since Andres Galarraga in 1998.
Ozuna entered Sunday leading the majors in batting average, home runs and RBI.
Charlie Morton extends pickoff streak
Charlie Morton allowed one run and tied a season-high with eight strikeouts in Saturday’s win over the Rays. He also picked off a base runner, which extended his streak to four straight games. He’s the first Braves player to have a four-game pickoff streak since lefty Steve Avery in 1995.