Takeaways: Atlanta drops game three 5-2, gets swept by Astros

For the first time since the Los Angeles Dodgers did it in August 2021, the Atlanta Braves have been swept in a three-game series.

Houston's offense went nuclear late in all three games, scoring twelve runs in the 7th inning or later over the weekend to win all three games.

What do you need to know from Atlanta's 5-2 loss on Sunday?

Max Fried got it done without his best stuff

Being an ace isn't just being untouchable and dominant when you're on and everything's working, it's also about being good enough to survive an outing when everything...isn't.

Max Fried was in that scenario on Sunday against the Astros.

The lefty went 6.2 innings with only three hits and no runs, walking three and striking out five. His pitch mix wasn't as sharp, generating only nine swings and misses (Whiffs) in his 107 pitches. His velocity was incrementally down on most everything except his four-seam fastball, which sat at 95 and touched 97 while accounting for six of the nine whiffs.

Fried's CSW rate, Called Strikes + Whiffs, sat at a below-average 18% on the contest. No individual pitch approached the MLB average of 30%, with the 4S FB topping the Statcast charts at 23%, the slider at 21%, and both the changeup and curveball at only 17%. (The sinker, thrown on 12% of the time on Sunday, drew no called strikes or swings and misses. All five that were strikes were contacted, with three fouled off and two put into play).

Again, the bullpen struggled late

Today's victims were Nick Anderson and AJ Minter. Together they pitched two full innings with five hits, five runs, and two walks to five strikeouts, changing this game from a 2-0 Braves lead to a 5-2 Astros victory.

As we mentioned earlier, Houston's excelled in the late innings this series, scoring twelve runs combined in the last three innings of the three games, while Atlanta was held scoreless after the 7th in the series. This feels more like it's to Houston's credit offensively than an issue with Atlanta's bullpen, which has excelled early this season for the most part.

Yordan Alvarez really is that good

Alvarez, last year's AL Silver Slugger at DH and an 2023 All-Star, is the most dangerous hitter in this Astros lineup and Atlanta pitchers weren't very good at avoiding his barrel this weekend.

On the series, Alvarez only collected three hits, but two of them were homeruns, one each on Friday and Saturday, and the third was a 2-RBI single on Sunday. For the series, Alvarez scored two runs and drove in six of the total seventeen runs scored by Houston in the series.

Ronald Acuña Jr continues to do everything he can to manifest a win

Acuña finished the series with five hits in twelve at-bats, including three doubles, and stole four bases to increase his MLB lead to twelve. He got on-base to open all three games, with a double on Friday, a single on Saturday, and a walk on Sunday.

What's next?

Atlanta opens a four-game series against the surging Miami Marlins at home on Monday night, with Spencer Strider taking the mound against Edward Cabrera. First pitch is scheduled for 7:20 ET and is being broadcast by Bally Sports South. The radio call, with Ben Ingram, is available locally on 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan or outside the Atlanta market on the Atlanta Braves Radio Network or MLB.com.

More stories about the Houston Astros series

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WATCH: Sean Murphy blasts a solo home run in the fourth inning

Takeaways: Braves drop game one to Houston, can still win the series

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