This was a game by the Atlanta Braves of April 2024. Chris Sale was solid if a bit inefficient, the bullpen was nails, and Matthew Kent Olson and Travis Emmanuel d’Arnaud went back-to-back in the fourth and then they did it again in the eighth. For good measure, Austin Riley contributed a two-run single, in a game that started fewer than 16 hours after his four-hit outburst last night.
Our new leadoff hitter, Jorge Soler, went 0-3 with a walk; our reasonably new ninth-place hitter, Whit Merrifield, went 1-3 with a walk and a run. Orlando Arcia extended his hitting streak to 11 games and contributed a really nice defensive play, throwing out Rhys Hoskins on a ball that glanced off Austin Riley’s glove.
In short, Austin Riley, Matt Olson, and Orlando Arcia are all contributing. Chris Sale got a no-decision but he’s still tied for the major league lead in wins, he’s third in the majors in strikeouts, and coming into this game, he had the same career WAR as Manny Machado.
Meanwhile, also coming into this game, Joe Jimenez and Raisel Iglesias are respectively fourth and sixth in the majors in WPA/LI.
Today, our team was all we could have ever hoped. Tomorrow, it’s August. Let’s be who we are.
Doomed [ ] Not Doomed [X]
If Olson and Riley can recapture 2023 and the rest of the lineup holds their own…we can beat anyone. The pitching has been under-the-radar good all year. Sale is one of those Smoltzie-esque gimme-the-ball-give-me-four-runs-we-win guys that we have all wanted, just get him to the post-season.
Absolutely, understand not pushing in all their chips this year, but there’s a reason they aren’t sellers.
March: 2-1
April: 17-8
May: 13-14
June: 14-13
July: 12-13
Yep, August… bring it.
Let’s play the last 2 months like we did the first 2 months.
Let’s play the wildcard round like we did March 🙂