There wasn't a lot to celebrate for the Atlanta Braves over the opening weekend out in San Diego. Atlanta was swept in a four-game series to begin a season for the first time since 1980. The last two games were particularly tough to watch for fans.
The Braves offense got shut out in back-to-back games to close out the series and the 0-4 start has fans rightfully upset. It doesn't get much worse than the Padres facing the minimum number of batters in Sunday night's 5-0 defeat for Atlanta. The worst is that the Padres shut Atlanta out with the back end of their rotation.
No Braves' hitter collected more than two hits over the four-game series against the Friars, and things don't get any easier for the Braves as they travel out to Los Angeles to take on the undefeated Dodgers next.
The Braves lost to the Padres, 5-0. They were swept in this four-game series. The offense, shut out in consecutive games, did not score over the final 22 innings. The trip does not become easier: The Braves play three at Dodger Stadium next.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) March 31, 2025
Atlanta is 0-4.
How does the Braves offense turn their season around against the Dodgers?
You can't draw up a start much worse than the one the Braves put together in 2025. What was thought to be one of the top offense's in the league coming into the season, Atlanta's offense managed just seven runs across their four-game series against the Padres. They also went 1-for-22 with RISP making them the worst team in baseball in a couple very important offensive categories.
So how do they turn things around against what is thought to one of the strongest baseball teams ever assembled? The Braves will certainly be the underdogs in the series opener as fifth starter Grant Holmes takes the mound against 2024 All-Star Tyler Glasnow.
The Braves know 0-4 is bad and are bracing for the challenge that awaits them against the Dodgers, but the confidence remains high within the locker room. Newest Brave Jurickson Profar said in the postgame that the Padres pitching staff was good and seemed to be way ahead of hitters right now. It's clear the team needed a big hit to take the pressure off this past weekend. Unfortunately, that hit never came.
Perhaps the newly ordered torpedo bats will be enough to spark this offense. Things have to change quick for Atlanta or they'll be at risk at digging themselves an insurmountable early hole in a very competitive NL East.
It's true that the top of the lineup strung together solid at-bats against San Diego, and hit a lot of baseballs hard without results to show for it. However, the Dodgers are clearly going to be a handful this week, and if the Braves are going to have any hope of winning this series they need the entire offense to help balance things out.
Michael Harris II or someone in the bottom half of the order picking up a big hit would go a long way towards giving the offense some confidence once again. Let's hope we're recapping more offensive production for Atlanta than we got this past weekend. If not it's going to be a long summer for Braves fans.