“Hopefully, the day off provided some relief, as Brian Snitker’s Atlanta Braves could use it.”
The recent strong performance by the Atlanta Braves seems to be a thing of the past. They were playing well and gaining ground on the Philadelphia Phillies, but after splitting the four-game series with the Miami Marlins by losing the last two at home, they need to regroup.
While it’s unlikely Atlanta will catch up to Philadelphia in the division, crazier things have happened in baseball. What’s frustrating is seeing a team start to turn the corner, only to drop a few questionable games to a team they should be able to beat. Miami is a solid team with pride, but Atlanta needed to take at least three of the four games.
David O’Brien of The Athletic captured a quote from Braves manager Brian Snitker that reflects the current mood as they head into this week:
“Glad we have an off day tomorrow so that we can get rid of this one, take a couple of showers. Because we were playing so good coming into this series, and won the first two games. Every time you get a foothold or something, you get smacked in the mouth and you’re right back having to get ‘er going again.”
Snitker’s resilience is admirable. However, what has been frustrating for Braves fans this season, aside from the limited TV coverage due to Xfinity issues with Bally, is the constant hope that the team will flip a switch and return to winning baseball. The problem is, it’s unclear if that switch actually exists…
Atlanta now faces a three-game home stand against the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers starting on Tuesday.
Brian Snitker’s off-day message is not what Braves fan needed to hear
I understand it was a divisional game on getaway day, but the Braves need to defend their home turf better than this. Miami is always a tough opponent, but when a team that’s perpetually rebuilding comes to town, you have to capitalize. It’s surprising that Philadelphia has allowed the Braves and the Mets to stay in the divisional race. Every win matters now.
What’s even more concerning is Sunday’s 7-0 loss to the Marlins, especially with Max Fried making his first start since coming off the IL. Fried can be dominant, but then there are days like Sunday… At this stage of the season, you need everyone pulling in the same direction. Not that the Braves aren’t trying, but nothing has come easily for this team.
The silver lining is that Atlanta built a solid cushion earlier in the summer, so barring an unexpected collapse, they should still make the playoffs. It might only be a first-round exit in the NLWCS, but that’s better than watching from the couch. Still, the Braves let a couple of games slip away, and they’re running out of time to show us what they’re truly made of.
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