The Daily Chop: Max is Marvelous, Eddie Rosario hits for the cycle, Plus More

The Braves achieved one of their biggest wins of the year on Sunday.

The Braves have certainly enjoyed playing on Sundays as of late.

With a 3-0 victory over the Giants yesterday, not only did the Braves avoid a series sweep and end a four game losing streak, they earned a win for the seventh straight Sunday in a row. Even more important, after a week of struggles, the Braves increased their lead in the NL East to two games and simply ended the week on a good note.

Atlanta used the bread and butter of this roster since the start of August to earn the victory. Max Fried was phenomenal and Adam Duvall and Eddie Rosario were clutch once again. Rosario’s historic cycle could not have come at a better time. It was a nice turn of events after the Braves offense got off to another slow start on Sunday.

Entering the game, Fried ranked in the Top 10 among starting pitchers in ERA, FIP, and xFIP in the second half of the season. With the duo of Charlie Morton and Fried, the Braves have one of the best starting pitching duos in the majors. They must continue to produce as such over the next two weeks.

Braves News

• Both Duvall and Rosario provided the offense in the win on Sunday. Another needed victory was heavily influenced by the moves of Alex Anthopolous at the trade deadline.
• As Mark Bowman notes at MLB.com, Rosario only needed five pitches to complete the cycle, the lowest total in such a case since 1990. This is also the first time the Braves have produced multiple cycles in a single season since 1901.
• After a brief time away from the team due to the birth of his child, Luke Jackson returned to the Braves on Sunday. Orlando Arcia was optioned back to Gwinnett to make room.
• With two full weeks left in the season, the Talking Chop Podcast explores the week that was and the week that needs to be to avoid disaster in the NL East race.

MLB NEWS

• Though it may be hard to admit, it seems many in Braves country were cheering for the Mets last night, and they got the job done with a 3-2 victory over the Phillies. Atlanta’s magic number is down to 13.
• The Wild Card races in both the NL and AL are starting to become a bit more clear. The Cardinals (yes, them again) won their eighth straight game to solidify their current spot in the National League while the Red Sox strengthened their position in the American League.
• Shohei Ohtani finally made another start for the Angels on Sunday and shined once again to add to his resume for the MVP award.
• While there are many exciting playoff races going on, Sunday also produced a few magical moments that makes baseball great. Mookie Betts made sure a memory could never be forgotten, while Josh Donaldson and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. created a clear display of respect for each other and Toronto.