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Can the Braves be better in the 2nd half of the season?

Friday starts the second half of the 2020 regular season. Will the Braves be better?

Notes on the Braves heading into the series with the Phillies:

The Braves and Phillies meet tonight to open a three-game series with the eighth of 10 games between the teams this season...The clubs finished a three-game set in Atlanta last weekend, with the Braves taking two-of-three games...The teams split four games here, August 7-10. • The Braves can take the season set from the Phillies if they win this series...The Braves dropped the season set to the Phillies last season for just the second time in eight seasons (since 2012)...They went 6-13 against Philadelphia in 2017. • The teams split the four-game set in Philadelphia, August 7-10...The Phillies won games No. 1 & 4, while the Braves swept a Sunday doubleheader... Atlanta has not had a winning record in Philadelphia since 2016, when they went 5-4 here...They were 2-8 in 2017, 4-5 in 2018 and 4-6 last season.  

The Braves swept a doubleheader from the New York Yankees on Wednesday to move a season-best six games over .500 at 18-12 (.600)...The club has won four of the last five and seven of their last 10. • The Braves have a .828 OPS over the their last 10 games, and are hitting .287 (96-for-335) as a team in this time frame. 

ON THE ROAD: The Braves start a six-game road trip tonight, with the first of three games in Philadelphia...They will travel to Boston for three games, August 31-September 2. • The Braves are 6-8 on the road this season, and 0-5 in road series openers. • Despite the losing record, they are 2-0-1 in road series against NL teams...They lost all four of their road games against AL teams (New York, Tampa Bay) so far this season. • The club has a .824 OPS in 16 home games this season...They have a .727 OPS in their 14 road games. • The Braves are allowing over a full run more on the road this season...They have allowed 4.86 per game (68 total) on the road this season, as opposed to 3.56 (55 total) at Truist Park.  

NEVER QUIT WITH SNIT: 1B Freddie Freeman drove a 1-0, sixth-inning pitch from Chad Green in Game 2 of Wednesday’s doubleheader over the wall in left-center field to give the Braves a 2-1 win. • The victory marked Atlanta’s 84th win in its final at-bat since Brian Snitker took over as manager on May 17, 2016...That total is the most in the majors in the time frame… • Last night’s last at-bat victory was the Braves’ eighth this season, most in the NL...The Braves led the National League in final at-bat wins in 2016 (19) and 2017 (20), tied for the league lead in 2018 (20) and finished fifth last season (20). 

FREDDIE HEATS UP: 1B Freddie Freeman went 2-for-6 between both games of the doubleheader on Wednesday, and has now hit in a season-best 10 straight games...His two-run home run in Game 2 helped the Braves to a 2-1 win. • Dating to a doubleheader on August 9 at Philadelphia, a span of 15 games, Freeman has gone 21-for-52 (.404) with 11 extra-base hits (seven doubles, a triple, three home runs), and more walks (11) than strikeouts (7)...He has reached base safely in 32-of-63 (.508) plate appearances in this time. • Freeman’s home run was the 83rd go-ahead home run of his career...Since entering the league in 2010, Freeman’s 35.78% go-ahead home run percentage is the 10th best in the majors among active players with as many home runs as him. 

MELANCON: RHP Mark Melancon worked around a two-out single in the seventh inning of Game 2 to collect his fifth save of the season and the 199th of his career. • Since joining the Braves at the trade deadline last season, the righty has converted 16-of-17 of his regular season save opportunities. • Since the save became an official statistic in 1969, 50 players have collected 200 saves, with Kansas City’s Greg Holland the last to reach the milestone in 2019. 

SWANSON STREAKS: SS Dansby Swanson went 1-for-3 in Game 2 of the doubleheader Wednesday to extended his hitting streak to a career high-tying 11 games...Swanson is hitting .417 (20-for-48) during his run that dates to August 12. • He finished the day going a combined 2-for-6 with a home run and two runs scored…Swanson is the only player in baseball with multiple hitting streaks of 10 or more games this season after opening the year with hits in 10 straight… • He has scored in a career-best eight straight games after scoring in both games Wednesday...His run is the second-longest active streak in the majors; San Diego’s Manny Machado has scored in nine straight.