The Atlanta Braves’ weekend series against the San Diego Padres ended in disappointment, with the team dropping two out of three games at Truist Park. Despite a thrilling return from star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr., who hit a leadoff home run in his first plate appearance after missing nearly a year, the Braves couldn’t capitalize on the momentum.
Acuña’s return was nothing short of spectacular, as he went 4-for-12 with two home runs, a double, and three RBIs over the three-game series. His performance was a much-needed boost to the Braves’ offense, which has struggled to find consistency this season. Acuña’s surgically repaired left knee didn’t seem to be an issue, and his presence in the lineup was a welcome sight for Braves fans.
However, the Braves’ offense was inconsistent, and despite a solid showing from rookie catcher Drake Baldwin, who joined Acuña, Marcell Ozuna, Matt Olson, and Austin Riley in the top five of Sunday’s lineup, the team couldn’t put together enough runs to win. Ozzie Albies also showed signs of life, extending his hit streak to 11 games, and Braves manager Brian Snitker is hoping he can continue to heat up alongside Acuña.
The pitching staff, led by rookie Spencer Schwellenbach, was solid, with Schwellenbach tossing seven innings with 11 strikeouts and no walks, allowing just two earned runs. However, a costly throwing error by Austin Riley in the sixth inning led to two unearned runs and ultimately cost Atlanta the series. Snitker didn’t put all the blame on Riley, acknowledging that some of the plays were out of his control.
The Braves now head into a critical three-game series in Philadelphia, where they’ll face a daunting rotation of Ranger Suárez, Zack Wheeler, and Cristopher Sánchez. Atlanta will counter with Spencer Strider, AJ Smith-Shawver, and Chris Sale, who has returned to elite form after a rough start to the season. With Sale’s recent performances, the Braves have reason to be optimistic about their chances in the series.
Despite the recent slide, Snitker remains upbeat, saying, “We’ve got a lot of time for things to get really good.” The Braves are 8.5 games behind the first-place Phillies, but Snitker believes they haven’t played their best baseball yet and are still in contention. With Acuña back in the lineup, the Braves hope their rhythm follows, and they can start building momentum towards a strong finish to the season.
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