Atlanta With six victories in their previous seven games coming into Saturday, the Braves had closed the gap on the National League East lead to five games. Max Fried was scheduled to return off the injured list, while Jorge Soler was now leading the lineup.
Before it abruptly stopped, everything appeared to be in order for Atlanta.
No assurances are given. However, the Braves knew they wasted a great chance to ultimately achieve long-term success when they left Truist Park on Sunday afternoon after losing to the Marlins 7-0. With back-to-back losses to a Miami team in last place that lost several of its star players before the trade deadline, the momentum they built up the week before vanished.
Manager Brian Snitker remarked, “Every time you get a foothold in this game, you get smacked in the mouth and you’re right back to having to get it going again.” “We’ll take that action.”
The Braves are still in first position in the NL Wild Card standings and are only five games behind the Phillies in the division as of Sunday. However, they and the Marlins, who arrived in Atlanta having dropped 15 of their previous 25 games, split a four-game series.
To make matters worse, the Braves were shut out at home for the first time since August 28, 2021, when Logan Webb and two Giants relievers accomplished the feat. With only the Rockies’ 361-game record from July 5, 1999 to September 17, 2003 and the Yankees’ 233-game string from July 8, 1930 to August 2, 1933, that 231-game run is the third-longest such streak by any team during the Modern Era (since 1901).
What degree of frustration follows as a result?
First baseman Matt Olson of the Braves stated, “We put together a string of good wins and then lost two straight.” “You don’t want to do that. However, I truly don’t know how to respond.
From the beginning of 2022 to the end of the fourth start he made against Miami, Fried had gone 4-0 with a 0.68 ERA. The Marlins’ record against left-handed starting pitchers this season was 7-30 going into Sunday. They had the lowest on-base (.284) and slugging (.336) percentages versus southpaws in the Majors and the 29th-best batting average (.228) against them.
Fried’s left elbow started to bother him while he warmed up to pitch one inning in the All-Star Game on July 16, so this felt like the perfect time for him to come off the injured list and make his first start. It didn’t take long, though, to recognize that in this case, the rust might have taken precedence over the numbers.
“I felt good physically,” Fried remarked. “I was simply not in sync.” When I needed to, I was unable to make that adjustment.
After just 3 1/3 innings, Fried matched a career-high by walking five batters. He gave up four hits and five earned runs, three of which came in Miami’s six-run fourth inning. With two on and one out in the fourth inning with Atlanta behind, the southpaw left the game. Jonah Bride’s three-run home drive gave Luke Jackson the opportunity to score runs off of both of those inherited runners.
We’ve been playing extremely well and things were going good, so I wanted to help,” Fried stated. “It is undoubtedly annoying.”
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