Same Problem, Different Day for Braves

In the 3-1 loss, the Braves left seven men on base and went 0-9 with runners in scoring position. The holes in Atlanta’s stood out once again, with its outfielders combining to go 2-11.

The three primary outfielders on the Braves 26-man roster, Bryan De La Cruz, Michael Harris II and Jarred Kelenic, are hitting under .200 on the season. With Ronald Acuña Jr. still sidelined with a knee injury, Atlanta’s outfielders must start producing offensively.

Unfortunately for Atlanta, the lack of offense has spread to the rest of the team in recent games. The Braves entered Wednesday averaging 3.53 runs per game, which ranked 24th in MLB, and the performance against Toronto certainly won't help that average.

Atlanta’s starting pitchers have not gotten much run support, and even Strider’s return couldn’t break that cycle. Oftentimes, an ace taking the mound can help spark an offense, but that didn’t happen for the Braves.

“Man, if these boys can’t get up for Strider’s return then we are HOPELESS,” one frustrated fan said on X. While Strider only threw five innings Wednesday, he looked dominant, allowing two runs and striking out five batters. But, it turns out that two runs was all Toronto would need to get past Atlanta.

Strider’s return should have marked a positive day for Atlanta. He now joins breakout star Spencer Schwellenbach and reigning NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale to form one of the best starting pitching trios in baseball. Instead, it was more of the same offensive struggles. If the Braves don’t start scoring runs at a better rate, it won’t matter how well their starters pitch.