To call the Atlanta Braves "unlucky" in 2024 is a bit of an understatement. In nearly every month of the season (and sometimes more than once in a given month), they have lost a crucial piece of their roster to injury. It started with Spencer Strider being lost to Tommy John surgery for the season and since then, it has been one huge loss after another. It is honestly remarkable the Braves have been able to field a team that even resembles a big league roster lately.
Their crappy luck has extended beyond just the injuries, however, as they have multiple guys (Matt Olson, Austin Riley) who should have had better seasons based on their batted ball profiles, but haven't because a lot of those hard hit balls have found gloves. On the flip side, the Braves' pitching staff has somehow managed to survive (and even thrive) in 2024 despite sporting the fourth-worst BABIP against them (.304) in all of baseball.
Those are some pretty serious headwinds to deal with, but somehow the Braves have managed to hang around in the NL wild card race. They had a good road trip last week and after taking two out of three from the Phillies thanks, in part, to some questionable decisions from Philly, the Braves found themselves on a bit of a roll.
The good fortune continued on Friday night as a blunder by the Nationals' defense in extra innings handed Atlanta another huge win in walk-off fashion.
BRAVES WALK IT OFF🗣️ pic.twitter.com/sWf7K8xCaH
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) August 24, 2024
CJ Abrams' throwing error in extras gives Braves breathing room in NL wild card race
We don't necessarily want to pile on Abrams too much here as he is a local kid that is fun to watch when he is on. Unfortunately, Abrams has been a bit of a horror show at shortstop this year according to the advanced metrics (-12 OAA) and he came up woefully short in a key moment which was very much to the Braves' benefit.
This had all the makings of another unlucky Braves loss. Chris Sale pitched well yet again, but the Braves' patchwork lineup could do little against Mackenzie Gore and it took an Orlando Arcia sac fly in the seventh to even force extras. Perhaps Michael Harris' return was the dose of good luck the Braves needed. He did hit a leadoff homer and the walk-off...throwing error after all.
Whatever the reasons, it does feel like the Braves' luck is turning in their favor at least a little bit. It would still be nice to get avoid anymore injuries and maybe even get a couple of their hurt guys back in the fold, though.