The Atlanta Braves had a huge opportunity in front of them when they arrived in Pittsburgh this past weekend. It felt like they would finally reach the .500 mark and eventually make some ground in the division standings.
Unfortunately, that didn't happen, and the Braves ended up losing a series to one of the worst teams in baseball. The offense had its moments, but overall, they continued to struggle and scored just eight runs in the series (despite not having to face Paul Skenes).
They were down 3-0 on Sunday until Sean Murphy hit a pinch-hit three-run double in the eighth to tie things up. Had Nick Allen not been thrown out trying to steal second base, the Braves may have taken the lead that inning.
Tied up!#BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/G0jteLXXPQ
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 11, 2025
But that didn't happen, and the Pirates took advantage of a struggling Raisel Iglesias to walk things off on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded. Braves insider for The AthleticDavid O'Brien stated that the team is now 0-5 in their chances to improve to .500. They had an opportunity against Colorado and Pittsburgh. Both are horrid teams that recently fired their managers due to their awful performances.
Braves' embarrassing series loss to the Pirates highlights continued offensive woes
Atlanta has been allergic to winning on the road this season, as they are now 7-15 away from Truist Park. At home, they are 12-6. It's a huge difference and despite getting Spencer Strider back soon, it's hard to feel confident right now that things will change anytime soon.
The inconsistency on offense is forcing Atlanta's starting rotation and bullpen to pitch in fear of making mistakes. They almost need to be perfect every game because of the lack of success at the plate. Something needs to change, whether that is a lineup change or an approach adjustment.
Atlanta is batting .230 with runners in scoring position this season with a .688 OPS. That is not going to help them earn a winning record anytime soon. They are tied for 21st in the majors in batting average (.237) and rank in the bottom half of the majors in on-base percentage (.310), slugging percentage (.380), and OPS (.690). O'Brien pointed out this is just ahead of the Marlins (.689) and Nationals (.688) in OPS rankings.
That is absolutely unacceptable from a team that was considered a favorite to win the NL East. Their record may be even worse if it weren't for their success in the eighth inning this season. Atlanta will eventually get Ronald Acuna Jr. back at the end of this month, but he won't save the offense.
They must figure out how to get out of this funk they find themselves in. You cannot afford to lose series against bad teams and compete for the division. They have a four-game series coming up against the Nationals at home. Luckily for them, it's a home series, and that's something to take solace in.