Braves offense can’t pick up Didier Fuentes in MLB debut

For the first time since perhaps Opening Day, there were legitimate reasons for Braves fans to get excited. Atlanta had just completed a sweep of the division-leading Mets — their third straight series win. Ronald Acuña Jr. looks like the best player in baseball again, Chris Sale is pitching like a Cy Young favorite, and Spencer Strider appears to be turning the corner.

With the lowly Marlins on deck, the weekend felt like a prime opportunity to keep the good vibes rolling. Braves Country even got a special treat, as the team called up 20-year-old Didier Fuentes to make his MLB debut in Friday’s series opener.

Fuentes doesn’t have much experience above High-A. In fact, until this season, he hadn’t even made a start above Low-A. Just last week, he became only the third teenager to ever play for Triple-A Gwinnett, joining Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozzie Albies. The Braves calling him up in the middle of a critical stretch — where they can’t afford to punt games — speaks volumes about their confidence in both his stuff and his poise.

However, things got off to a rough start for Didier Fuentes in his MLB debut. A double followed by a single in the second inning gave the Marlins their first run, but the real damage came in the third, when a three-run homer from Agustin Ramirez put the Braves in a four-run deficit.

It was a bit of a nightmare beginning to Fuentes’ MLB career; however, he did settle down and manage to make it through five innings without giving up another run, so it was far from the worst outing. It was really just one mistake, a hanging breaking ball over the middle of the plate, something he’ll quickly learn he can’t get away with at this level.

But the Braves couldn’t pick up their rookie. The offense once again sputtered in key moments, going just 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and plating only two runs on the night — a frustrating but familiar trend for this group, even after a promising sweep of the Mets.

It was a tough reminder that while things may be trending in the right direction, this roster still has flaws — and it’s on Alex Anthopoulos to address them if the Braves are serious about making a postseason push.