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Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Phillies play the Braves after Turner's 4-hit game
Philadelphia Phillies (48-34, first in the NL East) vs. Atlanta Braves (37-44, third in the NL East) Atlanta; Saturday, 7:15 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Phillies: Jesus Luzardo (7-3, 4.08 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 104 strikeouts); Braves: Spencer Schwellenbach (6-4, 3.21 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 96 strikeouts) Advertisement BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Braves -159, Phillies +133; over/under is 8 runs BOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia Phillies play the Atlanta Braves after Trea Turner had four hits against the Braves on Friday. Atlanta has gone 22-16 in home games and 37-44 overall. The Braves are 30-16 in games when they record eight or more hits. Philadelphia has a 22-20 record on the road and a 48-34 record overall. The Phillies have a 32-5 record in games when they scored five or more runs. The teams meet Saturday for the eighth time this season. The Phillies are up 4-3 in the season series. TOP PERFORMERS: Matt Olson leads the Braves with 15 home runs while slugging .472. Ronald Acuna is 10 for 33 with two home runs and five RBIs over the past 10 games. Advertisement Kyle Schwarber has nine doubles, a triple and 25 home runs for the Phillies. Turner is 12 for 43 with two doubles and three home runs over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Braves: 5-5, .227 batting average, 4.29 ERA, outscored by five runs Phillies: 5-5, .252 batting average, 3.03 ERA, outscored opponents by 14 runs INJURIES: Braves: Chris Sale: 15-Day IL (rib), Daysbel Hernandez: 15-Day IL (arm), AJ Smith-Shawver: 60-Day IL (calf/elbow), Reynaldo Lopez: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Joe Jimenez: 60-Day IL (knee) Phillies: Aaron Nola: 60-Day IL (ankle), Bryce Harper: 10-Day IL (wrist) ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. The Associated Press


Associated Press
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Phillies play the Braves after Turner's 4-hit game
Philadelphia Phillies (48-34, first in the NL East) vs. Atlanta Braves (37-44, third in the NL East) Atlanta; Saturday, 7:15 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Phillies: Jesus Luzardo (7-3, 4.08 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 104 strikeouts); Braves: Spencer Schwellenbach (6-4, 3.21 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 96 strikeouts) BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Braves -159, Phillies +133; over/under is 8 runs BOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia Phillies play the Atlanta Braves after Trea Turner had four hits against the Braves on Friday. Atlanta has gone 22-16 in home games and 37-44 overall. The Braves are 30-16 in games when they record eight or more hits. Philadelphia has a 22-20 record on the road and a 48-34 record overall. The Phillies have a 32-5 record in games when they scored five or more runs. The teams meet Saturday for the eighth time this season. The Phillies are up 4-3 in the season series. TOP PERFORMERS: Matt Olson leads the Braves with 15 home runs while slugging .472. Ronald Acuna is 10 for 33 with two home runs and five RBIs over the past 10 games. Kyle Schwarber has nine doubles, a triple and 25 home runs for the Phillies. Turner is 12 for 43 with two doubles and three home runs over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Braves: 5-5, .227 batting average, 4.29 ERA, outscored by five runs Phillies: 5-5, .252 batting average, 3.03 ERA, outscored opponents by 14 runs INJURIES: Braves: Chris Sale: 15-Day IL (rib), Daysbel Hernandez: 15-Day IL (arm), AJ Smith-Shawver: 60-Day IL (calf/elbow), Reynaldo Lopez: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Joe Jimenez: 60-Day IL (knee) Phillies: Aaron Nola: 60-Day IL (ankle), Bryce Harper: 10-Day IL (wrist) ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.


New York Times
10 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
The Atlanta Braves' lineup is a mess, and there are no easy fixes
ATLANTA — Having your team's leading home-run hitter, who's also one of its slowest runners, bat second normally would not make any sense. But in the case of the Atlanta Braves and their mostly anemic and wholly disappointing offense, Matt Olson in the 2-hole is the best hope of preventing opponents from constantly pitching around superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. Advertisement Olson was in the second spot in the lineup for the seventh game in a row Friday for a rain-delayed series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies, after Austin Riley did it for 52 games with uninspiring results and Alex Verdugo and others also stumbled there. 'It's challenging. You hit it right on the head,' Braves manager Brian Snitker said Friday afternoon, when asked about making a lineup with so many struggling pieces. 'We move guys around and hopefully give them different looks. And it's been challenging from the get-go. It's been hard. 'We haven't been able to get three or four guys going in one stretch. And that's what it's going to take for us to put something together. So, just kind of keep fighting the fight, and eventually we'll get the right mix and get 'er going.' That's where things stand with Atlanta's offense, folks. They keep trying to go on a good run, saying the right things about how they believe it'll come. So far, it has not. The Braves, who rank between 15th and 2oth in most offensive categories, have been worse lately, wasting numerous strong pitching performances and the opportunity to make up ground in the National League East and wild-card standings. They remained eighth in the NL wild-card race with a 37-43 record and the NL's fifth-lowest winning percentage before facing the Phillies, who were a half-game behind the NL East-leading New York Mets entering Friday and 9 1/2 games ahead of the Braves. Are the Braves feeling increased pressure at the season's halfway point, with their streak of eight consecutive playoff appearances in serious jeopardy? 'We got pressure in this game always, so it's just a matter of going out there and playing our game,' said Riley, who had one home run and a .669 OPS in his past 19 games, with 26 strikeouts in 78 at-bats. 'We obviously know that (facing a) division rival, it's very important. I think the main thing is just going out there and playing our game. We've been playing some good baseball here recently, so just try to try to build off of that.' Advertisement Good baseball? They've pitched well, but the Braves' hitting has remained inconsistent. They had but three singles in the series finale Thursday of a four-game split at New York. After Mets starter Griffin Canning tore his Achilles in the third inning, three relievers shut out the Braves over the final 6 1/3 innings of a 4-0 loss. That completed a 3-4 trip that began with a series loss at Miami. The Braves entered Friday batting .229 in June, fourth-worst in the majors, with a .664 OPS that was better than only five teams, including the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals in the NL. Hitting Acuña anywhere other than leadoff isn't an option because: A.) It's where he loves to hit and has long thrived, and B.) There is no other legit leadoff option in this lineup. For example, there were only 17 major leaguers with an OPS below .600 in 200 or more plate appearances before Friday, and three were Braves: Michael Harris II's .564 (fifth-lowest), Nick Allen's .567 (tied for seventh-lowest) and Verdugo's .598. Not much better were Ozzie Albies (.618) and Eli White (.661), the other half of a punchless left-field platoon with Verdugo. They'll have another 2-hole option Wednesday when left fielder Jurickson Profar returns from an 80-game PED suspension, barring any rainouts, which would push back his eligible date. But Profar, coming off a now-tainted career-best season with San Diego, will need to show he still has pop and can make pitchers pay for pitching around Acuña, or else Olson likely stays in the 2-hole. Olson and Acuña have been the only Braves hitting consistently in June. Olson entered Friday with a 27-game on-base streak in which he batted .303 with 23 RBIs and a .927 OPS. Acuña had sizzled with a .369 average, nine homers and a 1.143 OPS in 31 games since returning from a year-long rehab following knee surgery. Advertisement Rookie catcher Drake Baldwin — four homers, 11 RBIs and a .784 OPS in 18 June games before Friday —was the only other Brave with an OPS higher than .666 this month. Olson said of Acuña, 'He has no doubt been a spark plug for us. But, yeah, we want to have as much traffic on the bases as we can, all the way through the lineup.' Unlike the city they represent, the Braves have not had nearly enough traffic. A big part of that problem is decreased production from three players signed to long-term extensions a few years ago, players expected to be big performers annually: Riley, Albies and Harris. Riley and Albies are 28 and should be in the prime of their careers, and Harris is 24 and should just be approaching his prime. Instead, they all are playing as if they're 10 years older. Riley averaged 36 homers and 99 RBIs during 2021-2023 while hitting .286 with an .878 OPS and 135 OPS+. Since the beginning of 2024, he's hit .262 with a .769 OPS and 112 OPS+ and had 31 homers and 97 RBIs in 190 games. Unlike last season, when slowed by injuries including an oblique strain, Riley has been healthy this season and had only 12 homers and a .107 OPS+ in 80 games before Friday, with 100 strikeouts that would shatter his career-high 172 strikeouts if he were to continue that pace. Still, no other Braves hitters have seen declines as precipitous as Albies and Harris. Albies, a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, entered Friday with a .221 average, six homers and 28 RBIs to go with a .618 OPS that was 160 points below his .778 career OPS. He lugged a 73 OPS+ into the Phillies series, which meant that Albies' offensive production was 27 percent lower than a baseline-average MLB player (100 OPS+). Just two years ago, he hit .280 with 33 homers, 109 RBIs and a 126 OPS+ as part of the Braves' record-setting 2023 offense. Advertisement He's been so underwhelming lately, it no longer seems a given that the Braves will pick the $7 million option on Albies' contract for 2026, though the $4 million buyout could sway a decision to bring him back and hope he figures something out, if he hasn't between now and then. Albies might want to try a lighter bat, since the multiple injuries the switch-hitting second baseman has sustained over the years, including wrist and elbow fractures, might have taken a toll. He swings one of the heaviest bats on the team despite being smaller than any Brave other than Allen. Harris' situation is especially difficult, as he remains one of baseball's elite defensive center fielders, his latest home run-saving catch coming this week against the Mets. But his offense has been in steady decline since his NL Rookie of the Year season in 2022, when Harris hit .297 with 19 homers and an .853 OPS in 115 games. That slipped to .293/18/.808 in 138 games in 2023, .264/16/.722 in 110 games in 2024 (when he missed two months with a hamstring strain), and this year's alarming .215/6/.564 in all 80 Braves games before Friday. Not only has Harris' OPS+ plunged to 56 — it was 133 in his rookie season — but his .241 OBP was the lowest among MLB qualifiers before Friday. Harris has reached this OBP nadir — at least he and the Braves hope it doesn't go lower — by swinging at far more pitches out of the strike zone than he did before, perhaps trying to get the ball in the air as he's been instructed by first-year hitting coach Tim Hyers, and which Harris did for a brief period recently. Lately, he's reverted to grounding out repeatedly in big situations, striking out at the highest rate of his career, and walking at an extremely low rate, including an almost unfathomable zero walks in the past 33 games before Friday. Yes, no walks in 133 plate appearances since his two-walk game May 18 at Boston. Advertisement In his past 12 games before Friday, Harris was 3-for-42 (.071) with 10 strikeouts and a .186 OPS. Because Harris has fewer than five years of MLB service and has minor-league options, the Braves could send him to Triple A. They aren't ready to make that move, at least not yet, in part because they don't think they have a better option to play center, considering what Harris brings defensively. Michael Harris II FULL EXTENSION! — Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 28, 2025 'Just expanding the strike zone probably too much,' Snitker said of Harris' woes. 'That's because guys want to hit. But you have to adjust. And it's not just him. I mean, Michael's not where he wants to be, but we got a few guys; I'm not gonna just single one guy out. He's such a talented guy. And as I said, God bless him. I mean, the kid, he never takes (his hitting struggles) to the field, and he can help you win a game defensively. 'He's not doing what he wants offensively. But, man, when he's playing defense, you'd think he was hitting .350. I got a lot of respect for him to be able to do that.' Still, if Harris continues to struggle to the degree he has lately, might the Braves consider sending him down when Profar is activated next week and takes over in left field? They hope it doesn't come to that, but it's a move they might have to consider for the good of everyone involved. (Top photo of Austin Riley: Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)


New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Braves takeaways: Acuña can't carry offense alone, team stuck in rut, plans for Fuentes?
NEW YORK — With Ronald Acuña Jr. getting on base at least twice nightly for the previous 15 games, the Braves' offense was at least middling and sometimes more. But when Acuña didn't reach base Thursday, it was a reminder of how bad Atlanta's offense was before one of baseball's most dynamic players came off the injured list just over a month ago. Advertisement The Braves mustered three singles and nothing else — not even a walk — in a 4-0 loss to the New York Mets, who lost their starting pitcher to injury in the third inning and kept mowing down Braves hitters anyway. The vibe after this loss? 'Nobody's happy. I mean, it's not good,' said manager Brian Snitker, whose Braves slipped back to six games under .500 (37-43) on the eve of the season's halfway point. 'You're not happy with something like this. We couldn't get anything going offensively.' The mood wasn't good because neither was the offense. Again. It's a top-heavy lineup with several holes, subpar even with the marvelous Acuña. Only he, Matt Olson and rookie catcher Drake Baldwin, when he's in the lineup, have been doing much of anything. '(Acuña) is one of those guys that when he goes, we go,' Snitker said. 'But (him not reaching base) is going to happen, too. My God, he's doing great. We need to be better in the middle (of the lineup).' The Mets lost 10 of 11 before winning the last two in this four-game series, but they are back in first place in the National League East and have a gaping 10-game lead over the third-place Braves. The fact that Atlanta went 5-2 against the Mets in 10 days was no solace, especially since the Braves lost a series at Miami in between. 'We needed to go 7-0 against, quite honestly,' Snitker said. 'We're trying to dig out of a hole and we're trying to catch people, and we've got to win every series we play.' The Mets have a half-game division lead over the Philadelphia Phillies, who come to Atlanta for a three-game series that starts Friday. And the Braves? They're stuck in a rut, eighth place in the NL wild-card standings and seven games behind the San Diego Padres, who would have the third and final wild-card spot if the postseason began today. Advertisement Mets starter Griffin Canning retired eight of nine Braves before exiting with an apparent torn Achilles. Undistinguished Austin Warren then limited the Braves to one hit in 2 1/3 innings in his second MLB appearance of the season, and Dedniel Núñez entered with a 4.50 ERA and pitched two perfect innings with four strikeouts. It was that kind of night for the Braves. It's that kind of season. They are in the middle to bottom third of MLB in most offensive categories. With runners in scoring position, they rank 23rd with a .697 OPS. 'To be able to (face) a bullpen for, what was it, six innings? You want to be able to do a little more,' said Olson, who extended his on-base streak to 27 games with a ninth-inning single off Edwin Díaz. 'We clearly couldn't get anything going.' One day after Acuña became the first player to commit to the Home Run Derby at next month's All-Star Game in Atlanta, the Braves star moved up to third among NL outfielders in the first phase of All-Star fan voting. .@ronaldacunajr24 is moving on to Phase 2 of the All-Star Ballot! 🌟 Voting begins Monday at noon. 🗳️: — Atlanta Braves (@Braves) June 26, 2025 Voting begins anew for the second phase to determine position-player starters, but if Acuña were to finish third or higher in that round, he'll be a fan-elected starter for the fifth time, which would tie Braves icons Hank Aaron and Dale Murphy for most in franchise history. What separates Acuña is that it would be his fifth time elected in five full MLB seasons. He's in his eighth season with the Braves, but wasn't brought up for his debut until one month into the 2018 season. There was no All-Star Game in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Acuña was voted to start in 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023, though he couldn't play in 2021 after tearing the ACL in his right knee days before the All-Star game. He tore the ACL in his right knee last season on May 26 and began this season on the injured list. Advertisement Since being activated May 23, Acuña has hit .369 with nine homers, 18 RBIs and a 1.143 OPS in 31 games. He reached base via hit or walk at least twice in 15 straight games before going 0-for-4 Thursday, the fourth-longest such streak by a Brave in more than a century, topped by Deion Sanders (16 games in 1994) and Hall-of-Famers Rogers Hornsby (17 in 1928) and Eddie Mathews (16 in 1962). Acuña had a .603 OBP during the streak. Marcell Ozuna was the Braves' most consistently productive hitter during 2023-2024 and second-best DH in baseball in that span behind Shohei Ohtani, who won an MVP award in each league in those years. Through Ozuna's first 30 games this season, his production remained elite despite a hip ailment. His .287 average and .922 OPS through those 30 games — the team's first 33 games — was in line with his .289 and .916 OPS over the previous two seasons. However, Ozuna inflated that OPS more with walks than long balls in that span, posting just five homers and 12 RBIs (with 29 walks) through his first 30 games after totaling 79 homers and 204 RBIs in the previous two seasons. Since then, the hits and walks have slowed, and the power numbers remain well below his usual. Ozuna hit .224 with six homers and a .700 OPS in his past 46 games before Thursday and said two weeks ago his hip was no longer an issue. He just wasn't hitting. He had a homer robbed in the first inning Wednesday on a leaping catch by center fielder Jeff McNeil, and Ozuna has one homer and five extra-base hits in his past 22 games. He does have 15 RBIs in that span, four coming on a three-run homer and sacrifice fly in a 12-4 rout of the Colorado Rockies on June 13. Snitker was asked if Ozuna has shown any signs of getting going. 'I don't think any of us are hitting, other than Ronald and Matt right now,' Snitker said. 'The rest of them — we're trying to get everybody going. So you kind of look and find some positives in there. Just keep waiting for us to— you know, we're gonna go on a roll at some point in time. I just hope it'll be sooner than later.' Advertisement One encouraging sign from Ozuna: He singled with one out in the fourth inning Thursday and raced to second base on an error on the play, his stride as smooth and fast as it's been in quite some time. But as is often the case with the Braves, he was stranded when Austin Riley grounded out and Sean Murphy struck out. After Didier Fuentes gave up eight hits and six runs in 3 1/3 innings of his second major-league start Wednesday, many expected the 20-year-old and his 10.80 ERA to be optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett to make room for a fresh bullpen arm. The Braves instead optioned left-hander Austin Cox and recalled righty Michael Peterson. Does that mean Fuentes will be kept around for another start? 'As far as I know right now, yeah,' Snitker said. But when asked later about Fuentes getting to make a start in the homestand that begins Friday — his first two were at Miami and New York — Snitker said, 'Well, it's not up to me, really. I mean, if he's still here, then I'm thinking he's gonna be making the next one.' While the Braves did not indicate there were any other plans, Jackson Stephens pitched five scoreless innings of one-hit ball Thursday for Gwinnett, after working four hitless and scoreless innings in his previous start. If the Braves wanted to bring up Stephens to fill the rotation spot that Fuentes has filled twice since Chris Sale went on the IL with a rib-cage fracture, the schedule would work favorably since there's an off day Monday before a home series against the Los Angeles Angels. Whatever they do with Fuentes in the immediate future, Snitker and the Braves have been impressed with the maturity and ability of the Colombian right-hander, who is the youngest player in the majors and had just six minor-league starts above the High-A level. Advertisement 'He does have stuff that'll play' in the majors, Snitker said. 'It's just the experience. He hasn't logged a whole lot of professional innings yet, so he's learning on the job. Seems like a bright kid and adaptable and coachable. So, we just hope he continues to learn and make adjustments like everybody has to.' (Top photo of Ronald Acuña Jr.: Dustin Satloff / Getty Images)

Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Braves host the Phillies on home winning streak
Philadelphia Phillies (47-34, second in the NL East) vs. Atlanta Braves (37-43, third in the NL East) Atlanta; Friday, 7:15 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Phillies: Mick Abel (2-1, 3.47 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 18 strikeouts); Braves: Bryce Elder (2-4, 4.77 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 55 strikeouts) Advertisement BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Braves -139, Phillies +118; over/under is 9 runs BOTTOM LINE: The Atlanta Braves, on a three-game home winning streak, host the Philadelphia Phillies. Atlanta is 22-15 in home games and 37-43 overall. Braves pitchers have a collective 3.72 ERA, which ranks fourth in the NL. Philadelphia has a 21-20 record in road games and a 47-34 record overall. The Phillies have hit 83 total home runs to rank sixth in the NL. Friday's game is the seventh time these teams meet this season. The season series is tied 3-3. TOP PERFORMERS: Matt Olson leads the Braves with 15 home runs while slugging .476. Ronald Acuna is 11 for 34 with two doubles, two home runs and five RBIs over the last 10 games. Advertisement Nick Castellanos has 21 doubles, a triple, eight home runs and 41 RBIs for the Phillies. Trea Turner is 11 for 42 with a double and two home runs over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Braves: 6-4, .221 batting average, 3.41 ERA, outscored opponents by nine runs Phillies: 5-5, .237 batting average, 3.24 ERA, outscored opponents by four runs INJURIES: Braves: Chris Sale: 15-Day IL (rib), Daysbel Hernandez: 15-Day IL (arm), AJ Smith-Shawver: 60-Day IL (calf/elbow), Reynaldo Lopez: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Joe Jimenez: 60-Day IL (knee) Phillies: Aaron Nola: 60-Day IL (ankle), Bryce Harper: 10-Day IL (wrist) ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. The Associated Press