The Atlanta Braves' season was off to a horrific start, but things are trending in the right direction. There are a couple of downsides with the drama around Ronald Acuna Jr., Jurickson Profar's suspension, and unfortunate injuries to Spencer Strider as well as Reynaldo Lopez.
Atlanta is 10-14 on the season, and after a 0-7 start, that feels significant. They've put themselves in a place to get back into the division race. The main issue has been the inability to win games on the road.
Their home record is fantastic at 8-3, while on the road they are 2-11. The Braves are also 2-8 against teams with a .500 record or better. That needs to change if they're going to have any shot at making the postseason.
Braves eighth inning production has been stellar and fueled the team's resurgence
Lately, Atlanta's offense has been much better, specifically in the eighth inning. The Braves are slashing .306/.373/.561 with a .934 OPS and 30 hits. Of those 30 hits, two are doubles, one is a triple, and seven are home runs. They also have 23 RBI over 111 plate appearances.
When the game is late and close, Atlanta's offense has a .258 average with an .816 OPS through 150 plate appearances. The bigger takeaway is that the offense is much better at Truist Park. They have a .289/.358/.463 line with an .821 OPS, 18 doubles, 15 home runs, and 54 RBI at home.
This has been a common theme with the Braves under manager Brian Snitker. There has been a propensity to be much better in the late innings. While that's a good thing, it would be nice not to have the anxiety of losing looming every game. Having a no-doubt win every now and then would be nice.
Atlanta has an off day on Thursday as they travel to Arizona to square off with the Diamondbacks. After that, the Braves will take on the Rockies in Denver. Hopefully, they can get some road wins before returning home to face the Dodgers and Reds.