With the Los Angeles Dodgers series behind them, the Atlanta Braves’ recent matchups perfectly summed up their 2024 season. Heading into the weekend, a split in the four-game set would have seemed like a win for Atlanta. After dominating the first two games, the Braves struggled with timely hitting in the last two, ultimately going 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position during Monday’s finale. This inconsistency cost them a game in the Wild Card standings against the New York Mets.
Now, as the Braves embark on their final road trip of the regular season, they’ll face the Cincinnati Reds and Miami Marlins in back-to-back three-game series. On paper, Atlanta should have the advantage over both teams. However, given their struggles against sub-.500 teams this season, it’s clear they need to handle business where they’ve fallen short. Meanwhile, the Mets will be up against the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies, keeping the pressure on the Braves to perform.
Braves Struggles Against Teams Under .500
The Braves have consistently found themselves struggling against teams having subpar seasons, a trend that continued with a sneaky sweep by the Cincinnati Reds on September 9th. After the first two games of the series were played back in July, the Braves returned for the make-up game, only to fall 1-0. Despite Charlie Morton’s solid performance, the offense managed just two hits, offering no support.
Interestingly, since last season, the Braves have a solid 55-33 record against teams with .500 records or better. You’d expect that dominance to carry over to weaker opponents, but that hasn’t been the case this year. Atlanta is just 33-30 against sub-.500 teams, failing to capitalize on matchups they should have won, which has left them fighting for their playoff lives.
Had the Braves secured just five more wins against these weaker teams, they’d be tied with the San Diego Padres for the top Wild Card spot. But losing two out of three to a historically bad Chicago White Sox team is why the Braves are in their current position. Still, even in Atlanta’s losses, there’s something to be said about appreciating greatness in any form, even from a struggling team like Chicago.
This Road Trip’s Importance
Despite their recent struggles, the Braves have a real chance to make up ground on the Mets and possibly gain one or two games in the standings. The path is clear: they just need to take care of business. One advantage for Atlanta is that they’ll avoid the Reds’ top pitchers in this series.
Next Tuesday marks the start of what will likely be the most pivotal series of the season against the Mets, who currently hold a one-game lead. Fortunately for the Braves, the series will be at Truist Park, where they’ve performed well with a 42-33 record. If they handle their matchups this week, they could drastically alter their playoff fate.
But before that, Braves fans face a tough task: rooting for the Philadelphia Phillies to take another series from the Mets, a feeling that might be hard to stomach but could be key to Atlanta’s postseason hopes.
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