It’s been a bit since I wrote a piece. But in watching the Braves and Marlins game yesterday from rainy Miami, I was struck that the Braves right now are in the same circumstance as they were in last year. The only difference is the team is minus Freddie Freeman who is doing Freeman things in LA hitting .322. I can’t even fathom watching a Dodgers game or watch Dodger highlights. Just knowing he should still be in Atlanta. As the season began, 1B Matt Olson was hitting everything the pitchers threw up to him, hitting well over .330, making everyone forget Freeman, but since, he has cooled off only hitting .248 coming into the game yesterday where the Braves couldn’t pull the trigger on the sweep, losing 4-3 to Miami and falling 19-22 on the young season.
A spark is needed right about now. Last year just about this time I wrote where the team needed a spark, and sure enough in came Eddie Rosario, Jorge Soler, Joc Pederson, and back Adam Duvall. Those four hit the ground running and sparked the team in the run to capturing the 2021 World Series Title. I think it was just good luck of the draw for Braves General Manager Alex Anthopoulos and the team caught fire at the right time to win the title. Because on paper the 2021 Braves were not the best team. Dodgers were way better, but the game is played on the diamond, not on paper.
The trade deadline is still a couple months off and it is unknown what the Braves will do. Hopefully they will be all in it to win it again, but in this day and time with free agency, it is hard to repeat as champions in any league.
Pitching has remained solid with hiccups here and there, which is normal. The surprise of the pitching staff is pitcher Kyle Wright who has come into his own. Max Fried is still the ace of this staff with Wright a 2nd and then Charlie Morton the 3rd best on the starting rotation. Wright spent the offseason working out with Morton, and learning from him. It sure is showing the first couple months of the season.
Braves start a three game set at Truist Park tonight, weather permitting because it is rainy all day today here in Atlanta, where I work just 10 minutes away from Truist Park. Tucker Davidson set to take the mound for the Braves as he is trying to lock up that 5th starting rotation spot. First pitch set for 7:20pm est. Both teams start play tonight knotted at 19-22.
Header photo courtesy of Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Follow me on Twitter @makirkley for up-to-date tweets, and my views on what’s going on in the world of sports
Kirkley's Sports Korner 