Meet the Opponent: Perennial Contender Braves Off to Brutal Start to Season
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TAMPA, Fla. — The Atlanta Braves have been to the postseason seven years in a row and won the World Series in 2021. So it seems very weird that they have the worst record in the National League right now, tied with the Colorado Rockies at 3-9.
The Braves are in Tampa this weekend, taking on the Tampa Bay Rays for three games at Steinbrenner Field. Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash, whose team is just 5-7 themselves and have lost five of six, isn't the least bit fooled by the Braves' slow start. He knows they're a good team, despite the record.
"Look, they are a good team, top to bottom,'' Cash said before Friday's game. "They're off to a little bit of a slow start, but it's very early. I am assuming they are approaching (this series) like to what we are, that they have to play better baseball. So it's two teams that what to have a good showing and find some ways to win games.''
Here are the projected starting pitchers for the series, with game times:
- Friday night, 7:05 p.m. ET: Atlanta's Bryce Elder (0-0., 6.75 ERA) vs. Tampa Bay's Taj Bradley (1-0, 4.91 ERA).
- Saturday afternoon, 4:10 p.m. ET: Atlanta's AJ Smith-Shawver (0-2, 5.19 ERA) vs. Tampa Bay's Drew Rasmussen (1-0, 0.90 ERA).
- Sunday afternoon, 1:10 p.m. ET: Atlanta's Chris Sale (0-1, 6.75 ERA) vs. Tampa Bay's Shane Baz ( 1-0, 1.38 ERA).
Here are three things to know about the Atlanta Braves
1. Tough schedule factors in to slow start
It's professional sports, so excuses aren't allowed. We're not doling them out either, but the fact that the Braves have had the toughest schedule in baseball the first two weeks has to be a factor in their 3-9 record.
The Braves were swept by both the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres on the road to start the season. The Dodgers won their first eight games, the Padres their first seven. They were, unquestionably, the two hottest teams in baseball out of the gate. They are also the only two teams in all of MLB to already have 10 wins heading into Friday night's action.
Again, not an excuse, just reality. Since then, the Braves split two games with Miami and won two of three at home against Philadelphia.
"I'm not concerned with their record. You know what this lineup is and they are only three or four years removed from winning the World Series,'' said Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen, who will make his third start of the season on Saturday.
"It's one of those things where they know how to win, they're in it every year. We're in April, right? They've played a pretty good schedule up to this point. I'll let the record be what the record is. It's not telling me anything.''
2. Pitching has been a mess ...
Outside of second-year right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach, Atlanta's starting pitching has not been good. Schwellenbach has three quality starts — and that's it. No one else has even one.
Schwellenbach is 1-0 with an 0.45 ERA. That's one earned run in 20 innings. Chris Sale has started three games, Grant Holmes and AJ Smith-Shawver two, and Reynoldo Lopez and Bryce Elder one each. They have pitched 41.1 innings in those nine starts and have combined to allow 26 earned runs. That's a whopping 5.66 ERA.
It's not a complete surprise, I suppose, with free agent Max Fried leaving for the New York Yankees and Spencer Strider still recovering from elbow surgery. He's looked good in two rehab starts and should be back with the Braves soon. They need him — desperately.
3. ... And hitting has been even worse.
It's hard to believe that the Braves have scored only 38 runs in 12 games — which is dead last in the National League. They are hitting just .218 as a team and have only hit nine home runs. Only the Pittsburgh Pirates with eight have fewer long balls.
It's been a real struggle for first baseman Matt Olson, who is hitting just .190 with one home run in 52 plate appearances. Second baseman Ozzie Albies is hitting .200, outfielder Michael Harris II just .209 and outfield Jarred Kelenic is hitting .161
The Braves are hoping to snap this skid on the road. A loss on Friday would tie the team record of eight straight road losses to start a season, which they did in 1980.
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Tom Brew is the publisher of ''Tampa Bay Rays on SI'' and has been with the Sports Illustrated platform since 2019. He has worked at some of America's finest newspapers, including the Tampa Bay Times, Indianapolis Star and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He owns eight sites on the "On SI'' network and has written four books.
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