Atlanta Braves Drop Game and Series to Milwaukee Brewers
The Atlanta Braves lost Sunday’s rubber game versus the Milwaukee Brewers by a 2-1 score.
For the second straight Sunday, the Atlanta Braves were unable to capitalize on a strong pitching performance as the bats fell quiet in another 2-1 loss.
On Friday and Saturday, the Braves offense went toe-to-toe with two extremely tough starting pitchers in Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff. The Braves were able to grind out some good at-bats and having some success against the two Milwaukee aces.
And while the Braves only earned a split in those two games, there was reason to believe that the Braves had a very good chance of winning Sunday’s game as Brett Anderson took the mound for the Brewers and Charlie Morton pitched for Atlanta.
Morton continued his good work on the mound on Sunday. He really only made one mistake, hanging a cutter to Willy Adames in the first inning, which resulted in a solo home run, giving the Brewers a 1-0 lead.
The Brewers were also able to scratch out a run in the fifth inning. The Braves answered getting one run back in the sixth on an Austin Riley RBI single off of John Curtiss, pulling Atlanta within a run heading into the seventh.
The Braves bullpen put together three perfect innings and gave the offense a chance to put together some late-inning magic. But the Brewers relievers were also up to the task, giving up three hits but keeping the Braves off the scoreboard and preserving a 2-1 Milwaukee victory.
The Atlanta Braves have an excellent opportunity to catch the Mets over the next three weeks.
The Braves finished a very tough portion of their schedule today, compiling an 8-9 record. This was enough to keep them within striking distance of the Mets in the NL East and give the front office confidence to add pieces at the trade deadline.
And while the Braves did not add any superstars to the team, they improved two areas that needed an upgrade, the bullpen, and the outfield bats.
This coupled with the pending returns from injury of the newly acquired Eddie Rosario, Travis d’Arnaud, Huascar Ynoa, and Ian Anderson give the Braves the firepower needed to go on a run in the season’s final two months.
The Braves are also about to enter a softer portion of their schedule. Their next eighteen games include six with the Nationals (who just traded everyone not named Juan Soto), three with the last-place Marlins, and three with the last-place Baltimore Orioles.
The week of August 16th-22nd could be especially fruitful for Atlanta as the Mets are on the road for seven games against the Dodgers and Giants while the Braves road trip includes three-game sets with the aforementioned Marlins and Orioles.
Next. Grading the Atlanta Braves Trade Deadline Moves. dark
While it would have been great to take this series and move within three games of the Mets today, this Braves team seems to have the personnel to finish this season playing its best baseball of the year. And one of the trademarks of Braves teams over the past four seasons is that while they don’t always win, they usually give us an exciting finish. Here is to hoping that the 2021 version of the Atlanta Braves continues that trend and gives us a finish to remember.