Atlanta Braves 3 takeaways: a bounce back with changes at the end

1.  The 1-2 Punch

Let’s review the night’s effort for Ronald Acuna Jr.and Ozzie Albies:

• Inning 1:  strikeout, homer
• Inning 3:  single, single
• Inning 5:  homer, single
• Innings 6/7:  strikeout, groundout
• Inning 9:  homer, double

Combined, they went 7 for 10 with 3 home runs, a double, 5 RBI, 4 runs scored and 2 K (both Acuna).

They also combined to slam 5 of the 8 hardest hit balls of the night (101.2 to 109.8 mph off the bat).

Albies has broken through the .300 mark (.301) for the season while OPSing .864.

Acuna is now hitting .298 on the year with a .912 OPS.  That .377 OBP in the leadoff spot is also looking very good – even if he’s not hitting the ball nine miles.

When he does… he’s now tied for 5th in the majors with 32 homers (Yelich, 39).  If he doesn’t, he’s still a threat:  2nd in steals with 26 (Mallex Smith, 31).

It Starts at the Top

Combined, the Braves 1-4 hitters are getting on base at rates of .377, .354, .399, and .379.  That’s hard for any opponent to work around… on average, at least 1 of them is getting on base every inning.

In comments after the game, manager Brian Snitker echoed the suggestion from Kelsey Wingert that the pair feed off each other and that they “love that” at the top of the order.

In the Braves’ 5-run fifth inning, the parade was started by Tyler Flowers and Ender Inciarte getting on base.  When that happens – the bottom of the order leading the way, that truly does set up the lineup for something big… and indeed, they batted around in that inning.

We still don’t know exactly when Dansby Swanson will be heeled-up enough (yeah, I said that) to get back into the lineup, but when he does, you get impression that Snitker is going to have a really hard time avoiding the entries of ‘Acuna’ and ‘Albies’ at the top of the lineup card.

Swanson may have to do his work from the 7th or 8th slots in the order until/unless this dynamic duo cools off some.

And that’s okay.