Braves Face Early Challenges in Series Opener Against Dodgers

SAN DIEGO – The Braves endured back-to-back shutouts to conclude a four-game sweep, not the ideal lead-up to a three-game face-off with the reigning World Series champions, the Dodgers. The team hopes the troubles of the weekend will be left behind in San Diego.

“0-4 isn’t good,” stated Braves manager Brian Snitker candidly. “We just didn’t get it done.”

The Braves wrapped up a vexing season-opening series at Petco Park with a 5-0 loss to the Padres on Sunday. They failed to score over the final 22 innings and managed only one hit in the last game, marking their first 0-4 start since winning the World Series in 2021.

“We’re not where we need to be right now,” said left fielder Jurickson Profar. “But we’ve got an incredible team with immense talent. Once we get going, we’re unstoppable.”

As they head into Monday night’s series at Dodger Stadium, let’s review key insights from their time against the Padres:

Pitching Performance Highlights

The Braves delivered commendable pitching performances, enough to potentially win each matchup, which is noteworthy given the circumstances. Spencer Schwellenbach’s six scoreless innings on Saturday were a solid showing. Chris Sale struggled early in his Opening Day start, while Reynaldo López couldn’t find his rhythm on Friday. Nevertheless, each allowed only three runs over five innings.

On Sunday, AJ Smith-Shawver permitted two runs in four innings, showing significant improvement from his performance in last October’s Wild Card Series. Sale left his game with a one-run edge, López, and Schwellenbach left with ties, and Smith-Shawver departed trailing 2-0.

“We need to figure out our offense,” Snitker commented. “With just a bit more offensive support, we could have at least split the series.”

Grant Holmes will open the series against the Dodgers on Monday. With Sale and López scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, the Braves are optimistic about leaving Los Angeles with improved morale.

Struggles with Runners in Scoring Position

In a twist of fate, the Braves minimized their woes with runners in scoring position by advancing only one runner beyond first base on Sunday. Marcell Ozuna was the lone player to reach second but was caught out after ambitiously rounding the base. Such misfortune characterized the weekend, as the Braves haven’t scored since Friday’s fifth inning.

They went 1-for-22 with runners in scoring position throughout the series, yielding seven runs total, their lowest in a four-game set since June 2017 against the Mets.

“It’s better to face this now rather than later,” said center fielder Michael Harris II. “There’s time to iron out these kinks. It’s a rough start, but we’re just getting started.”

Bad luck also played a role, as evidenced by their 0-for-4 results on batted balls traveling at 100 mph or harder Sunday. They actually hit .412 (7-for-17) on such balls during the series, compared to the 2024 league average of .589.

Bullpen Remains a Question Mark

Héctor Neris blew a seventh-inning lead on Thursday, unable to get out any of the three batters he faced. Dylan Lee surrendered a game-deciding homer when he began his second innings on Friday, and Aaron Bummer allowed a difficult run on Saturday when a ball deflected off his shoe for a double.

While the bullpen continues to evolve, Neris stands out as a point of concern. Initially trusted in a high-pressure moment on Thursday, by Sunday he was pitching in a less critical role. Despite surrendering two more runs, equating to five of the nine runs allowed by Atlanta’s bullpen, optimism prevails.

“Keep your chin up,” advised Harris. “It’s far too early in the season to get bogged down by this. The only direction from here is up.”