Since Thursday, the Braves have actually lost a game off their division lead over the Phillies.
However, that is perfectly fine considering the Braves just beat the team with the best record in the game during a weekend series.
The Braves showed plenty of power and pitching in a 9-0 victory in their rubber match against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday.
Ian Anderson returned to Atlanta and shined while Eddie Rosario made his first start in a Braves uniform and delivered a big hit. Atlanta was already a significantly better team due to the immediate impact from all of their trade deadline additions. Now, the return of Anderson and the debut of Rosario, plus Huarscar Ynoa earlier this week, strengthens the depth and quality of each aspect of this roster.
Now, with a big series win over the Giants behind them, the Braves know they can compete against anyone in the National League. That confidence will be put to the test over the next week as Atlanta faces the most talented team in the league in the Dodgers and perhaps the most dangerous home team in the league in the Rockies.
Braves News
- Nearly everyone played a role in the Braves big victory Sunday. Along with Anderson and Rosario, Jorge Soler and Austin Riley both went deep once again.
- With a need for a roster spot so Anderson could make his start on Sunday, the Braves optioned Edgar Santana to create space.
- Has Austin Riley become a legitimate MVP candidate? MLB.com’s Mark Bowman feels Riley certainly is making a case for himself with each passing day.
- In the latest Talking Chop podcast, as September nears, the Braves did well to weather the storm of a much tougher schedule this past week.
MLB News
- Over the past month, the Mets’ struggles have been one of the biggest stories in baseball. On Sunday, their prize trade deadline acquisition, Javy Baez, spoke out about the lack of support from fans. His words resulted in a response from team president Sandy Alderson:
The New York Mets just put out a statement in which the team president said it's OK for fans to boo, it's not OK for players to mock their fans for booing and there's going to be a team meeting to address this. pic.twitter.com/xWNj3NFoBu
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 30, 2021
This obviously is a less than ideal situation that continues to evolve and add more turmoil to what has become a forgettable season for the Mets.
- A significantly more positive storyline over the past month has been the emergence of Wander Franco for the Rays. The former top overall prospect in the game has certainly put his immense talent on display as he made history once again on Sunday.
- More history was made on Sunday thanks to Salvador Perez of the Royals. With his 38th home run, Perez has displayed power no other primary catcher has before in the history of the American League.
- The Braves and Dodgers is just one of several series with huge postseason implications on the line. It will certainly be a highly impactful week for many teams across baseball.