I’m not sure where I read/saw but BG said somewhere about a week or two ago, “one thing that’s amazing about the Braves this season is they haven’t had a hiccup”
And he was so right on that; but as I was reading I knew it was inevitable that one was coming at some point - not likely to go a 162 game season without a hiccup or multiple.
That was this week in Chicago and in New York. With injuries, bad weather and bad breaks, Atlanta had their worst week of the season.
The difference is the Braves get Drake Baldwin, arguably the best player in MLB this season, returning to the lineup this coming week. Acuña will be back at some point in June/July - paving the way for a great homestretch to close the regular season.
Atlanta also has the player capital to acquire some starting pitchers at the deadline to back one of the better offenses in baseball this season. This team at 46-25, is in a way better spot 45% or so through the season than I would have anticipated.
The deadline will be pivotal but I have no doubt AA will make the moves needed, especially with Strider going down. If you really watch this team, when healthy, have a level of fight, just like their 1st year manager, that has proven to bode well in series’. And I think that should translate well in October. As for now, when you have an 8 game division lead, you can afford a hiccup or two. This is a marathon and while Atlanta is putting bandages on and tightening their shoe laces, they’re still in 1st place.