2024 hasn't exactly gone according to plan for the Atlanta Braves. On Sunday, it looked like the Braves were on their way to an easy victory over the Colorado Rockies on the road. They were leading 8-2 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, and they only allowed just two runs to cross the plate before getting the second out of the inning. The Rockies, however, went berserk, tallying six base hits, two of which went for a double, in quick succession, turning the game upside down and earning a 9-8 comeback win over Atlanta.
With every passing hit, the crowd in Coors Field became more and more invested, and it seemed like the Braves simply wilted under the pressure. For manager Brian Snitker, he couldn't even explain away what happened to his team after seemingly get caught in a whirlwind from the Rockies.
“It’s tough to swallow. It’s a tough one there. That’s even weird for here. It felt like we were an out away in the eighth and next thing you know, the roof caved in. It’s a hard one to explain,” Snitker said, via ESPN.
Raisel Iglesias had already pitched on Saturday, shutting the door for the Braves in an 11-8 win over the Rockies, so it wasn't ideal for the Braves to bring him into the game for a consecutive night of work. Luke Jackson was supposed to handle business, soaking up mop-up duties for Atlanta, but he set up the nightmare inning that Joe Jimenez, one of their most reliable relievers this season who had an ERA of 2.35 entering the night, couldn't finish without hemorrhaging the lead away.
The last thing the Braves need, however, is for them to let this loss snowball. It will be a quick turnaround for them, as they are headed to San Francisco to face the Giants on the road. They'll be hoping that they manage to take care of business this time around, especially with the New York Mets breathing down their necks in the NL Wild Card standings.
Braves let a solid offensive game go to waste
The 2024 season has been a stark contrast for the Braves in terms of run production. Last year, they led the majors in total runs scored, with 947. In 2024, however, they have struggled to put runs on the board. Even after scoring 19 runs over their past two games, they rank 12th in the NL in runs scored, with 503. Thus, letting a game where they scored right runs get away from them must frustrate manager Brian Snitker and company all the more.
Compounding their frustrations is the fact that they lost their three-game set against the Rockies in this excruciating fashion. The Rockies own one of the worst records in the MLB this season, so the fact that the Braves lost two out of three against them will be additionally infuriating.
At 61-56, the Braves are currently in a precarious spot in the standings, as they are only a half-game ahead of the Mets in the wild card race. Their upcoming series against the Giants will be very crucial to say the least; San Francisco is 7-3 in its last 10 games, and the Giants, at 61-59, are also knocking on the door of a playoff spot. Thus, expect these teams to slug it out as they battle for playoff positioning.
Follow Us
Subscribe