Braves Spiraling Despite Acuña’s Return and Dominant Pitching: What’s Gone Wrong in Atlanta?
Ronald Acuña Jr. is back. The pitching staff owns the third-best ERA in the National League this month. And yet, the Atlanta Braves find themselves sinking, not soaring.
Since Acuña returned from knee surgery a week ago, the Braves have dropped seven of their last nine games, slipping to 12-14 in May. Instead of gaining ground, they’re sliding — and fast.
“I still think we’re right on the edge of turning this thing around and playing the baseball we can play,” said first baseman Matt Olson, searching for optimism after another missed opportunity on Friday night.
Just 24 hours earlier, Atlanta had handed Phillies ace Zack Wheeler his worst outing of the year — a win that looked like the turning point. But back at Truist Park, that momentum vanished as the Braves fell 5-1 to a Red Sox team riding a five-game losing streak.
“We had a lot of chances tonight,” manager Brian Snitker admitted after the game.
The Offense Is Failing — Especially in the Clutch
Atlanta’s bats simply aren’t delivering when it counts. After going 7-for-19 with runners in scoring position during Thursday’s doubleheader, the Braves went just 1-for-10 in Friday’s opener. That’s become a troubling pattern — Atlanta’s .659 OPS with RISP in May ranks 11th in the NL.
Their struggles are all the more baffling considering the offensive firepower in the lineup. With Olson, Austin Riley, Marcell Ozuna, Ozzie Albies, and Michael Harris II — all key pieces of a record-breaking 2023 lineup — the expectation was continued dominance. Instead, they’ve gone cold.
And even with a stellar 3.20 team ERA this month, the Braves are losing the close ones. Six of their seven recent losses have come by two runs or fewer.
“We just have no room for error — whether it’s a pitch, a play, or a run,” Snitker said. “It’s kind of hard to play the game like that.”
Costly Mistakes and Missed Opportunities
Friday’s lone run came after a near-disaster on the basepaths. A questionable send from third-base coach Matt Tuiasosopo nearly got Acuña thrown out at home — but Boston’s Carlos Narváez bobbled the throw. Another throw dropped by Narváez in the seventh could’ve scored again, but the run was wiped away after replay confirmed Abraham Toro kept his foot on the first base bag for the out.
The Braves had opened that inning with a leadoff double from Luke Williams — a golden opportunity — but Acuña grounded out, Ozuna struck out, and Olson’s 112.7 mph grounder was turned into an out by Trevor Story’s sharp fielding.
A Familiar Hole — But A Familiar Path Out?
As frustrating as the last two weeks have been, this isn’t uncharted territory. The Braves were also four games under .500 entering June back in 2022. That year, they flipped the switch — rattling off 14 straight wins to start June and finishing with 101 victories.
“We’ve made some good runs before,” Olson said. “I don’t see any reason we can’t do it again.”
Whether they will is another matter. For now, the Braves remain a team full of promise but stuck in neutral — waiting for the spark that turns potential into momentum.
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