As the saying goes, talk is cheap. But that’s about all the Atlanta Braves have to offer in place of an offense at the moment.
In the series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday afternoon, the Braves tied a franchise record for a nine-inning game with 19 strikeouts. Behind the lack of contract, the Braves dropped the series finale 3-1.
First baseman Matt Olson accounted for three of those punchouts. Olson addressed the team’s new offensive low after the loss.
“We gotta play better. There’s no secret to that,” Olson told reporters, via The AJC’s Justin Toscano. “Sure, we got a lot of games left, but we can’t do this s*** forever.
“We gotta find a way to start playing better baseball all the way around.”
It’s understand that Olson didn’t want to single out one particular group of the team. Finger pointing does nobody any good.
But to steal Olson’s words, it’s “no secret” the team’s offense is the biggest issue. After busting out for eight runs to begin the series in Toronto, the Braves scored four runs in their final 22 innings north of the border.
All four of those runs came via a solo homer. The Braves were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position Wednesday afternoon.
Olson is right at the center of Atlanta’s offensive issues. While Olson singled in his other at-bat Wednesday, his batting average dropped to .203 after the defeat. The first baseman is slashing .203/.338/.344 with 16 strikeouts in 18 games this season.
With runners in scoring position, Olson possesses a .211/.348/.263 slash line with seven RBI.
Considering the team is batting .184 with runners in scoring position, and Olson’s is performing better with runners on base than he is overall, the first baseman is ahead of the curve in RISP situations.
But the Braves still need a lot more from their clean up hitter, especially if Marcell Ozuna remains out of the lineup.
Yes, the Braves could play better baseball all around. But more middle-of-the-order production, especially with runners on base, is needed the most.
