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Braves Finish Strong Homestand, Go Back On Road

By Deke Lloyd

MIAMI, FL - JULY 23: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Atlanta Braves returns the the dugout after in the eighth inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on July 23, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - JULY 23: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Atlanta Braves returns the the dugout after in the eighth inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on July 23, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /
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The Braves finished a homestand with Milwaukee on Sunday. The Braves lost on Sunday but won the series to finish off a strong homestand, where the Braves were able to win series against two of the best teams in the NL, the Cardinals, and Brewers.

The start of the homestand didn’t start as planned. The Braves lost an ugly game to the St. Louis Cardinals, 14-3. However, the Braves didn’t let that loss get them down. The Braves won the next two games to take the series from the Cardinals. Next up for the Braves, the Brewers. The Brewers, another NL Central opponent, have been one of the best teams in the NL to start the season. The Braves were not phased by their record and were able to take two out of three from the Brewers. The homestand was further proof that the Braves are a contender in the NL no matter the team put in front of them.

The Braves have stuck with the lineup changes that were implemented in Arizona. Ronald Acuna Jr. and Dansby Swanson stayed up top. The newest addition, Austin Riley, was called up for the homestand and his bat has been too good to take him out of the lineup. Freddie Freeman has heated up, hitting a home run for three straight games in the Brewers series. The Braves have been hitting better with runners in scoring positions since the lineup changes. Moving Acuna and Swanson up top while letting Donaldson hit with runners on base has been better for everyone. Freeman and Nick Markakis have been playing well, and if Austin Riley can keep hitting, the Braves lineup is that much more dangerous. Whatever the Braves are doing, they need to keep doing it. It’s working.

It’s looking like the NL East is going to be a long fight between the Braves and the Phillies, who still hold a two and a half game lead over Atlanta after Sunday’s loss. The Braves have not been able to overtake the Phillies since the season has started. After the long homestand, the Braves will go back on the road to San Francisco and St. Louis. It will be a good test for the young pitchers, Soroka and Fired, and the good test for the lineup changes. The Braves looked good at home. Let’s hope this team can continue to play good baseball and find that consistency that they have been missing all season.

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