BS Report: Braves Looking Better

Braves had a good win on Tuesday night over the New York Mets by the score of four to nothing. Good pitching. Good. Home runs usually means a win for the Atlanta Braves. They had two home runs of the night a solo shot by Ozzie Albies his 20th of the year. And then Matt Olson had his 35th home run.

A two run shot in the eighth inning that may make it back to make it. That thing was really hit into the chop. House out in right field. And Olson continues to be one of the best players really in baseball right now. He has been incredible with those 35 home runs. Still, with a quarter of the season left so he could approach 45 home runs before the year is over.

But there was a tweet from ESPN on Wednesday morning that really told a lot of the story about how great Matt Olson has been with the Atlanta Braves, most home runs in the first five seasons with the Braves. Well, Eddie Matthews leads the way with 190. He was a Hall of Famer, of course. Then Olson at 181, Henry Aaron at 140, Bob Horner at 138, and Wally Berger at 135.

So no question that Matt Olson is in some pretty elite category with that group of players right there. And he continues to be a really good player for the Braves. And of course, that Freddie Freeman Matt Olson debate will go on forever. But I think the Braves did pretty good to replace Freddie Freeman with an awesome hitter and a pretty good first baseman as well.

The pitching was great again last night. Martin Perez with six shutout innings. He has been phenomenal for the Braves as of late. He’s not giving up a run in his last three games. And look, we were talking of course last week about the disappointment of the Braves. Not making another move, the deadline to get over another starting pitcher.

All of a sudden the Braves have a lot of starting pitchers. They just missed a pitch last night in Triple-A, and he pitched five and a third innings scoreless ball, no walks and seven strikeouts. So the expectation is that he’s going to be activated this weekend by the Braves. And then what? What are you going to do then?

Because the entire starting rotation right now is during pretty well. Tyler Mahle who pitches tonight for the Braves. He was great in his debut for Atlanta on Friday night against the Yankees. Then you have, of course, Chris Sale. He’s not going anywhere. He’s been one of the best pitchers in the game. He is 12 and seven. And the thing I have, 2.22 Grant homes has been outstanding last nine games.

The ERA of 2.19 Bryce Elder 3.72. Earned run average since the All-Star break in five games. Perez, now with a 1.08 earned run average in his five games since the All-Star break right out of Lopez, can be back at some point soon. He was doing pretty well as a starting pitcher with a 3.81 earned run average. So what are the merits going to do?

Well, they could move Lopez when he’s ready back to the bullpen. Of course he’s been a reliever for most of his career. Braves made him a starter. He got hurt. Started this year as a starter. Went to the bullpen, got hurt. So could they move him back to the bullpen? Now the large number of starting pitchers they have, if A.J. Smith does take someone’s spot in the rotation, you wonder who that could be.

Would it be Grant Holmes? Could they move him to a middle relief role? Could they go to a six man rotation? There seems to be several options for the Braves on the table, but they all seem to be good ones. Now, of course, these guys, whom we all had skepticism about a couple of weeks ago, obviously, they’re going to be pitching well in late September and into October.

That’s going to be the key for the Braves, of course, but it is a nice problem to have to practically have too many starting pitchers, which is really, really good. Brains extend their lead over the Phillies to eight and a half game that we had last night is Philadelphia lost their game to Saint Louis. Miami 11 back. The nationals 13.5 back.

The Mets are 19.5 back. Braves now two back. The Brewers the best record in baseball. Tampa Bay is a half game behind Milwaukee, then Atlanta and Los Angeles tied for third place in baseball, second place in the National League for the best record. They are two games back of the Brewers again. Tyler Mahle will be on the mound for Atlanta tonight as they try to win the series from New York at Truist Park.