Just when it seems they cannot possibly sink any lower, the Atlanta Braves continue to find ways to reach a new rock bottom. Getting swept at home by the Baltimore Orioles is about as deflating as any scenario you can imagine.
The two teams are both in the middle of lost seasons after heading into the year as expected contenders. Atlanta was beaten solidly by former starter Charlie Morton on Friday night in a game that would set the tone for the rest of the series. Morton outdueling Spencer Strider only made this worse with Strider being the team's last remaining established starter who isn't a part of the injured list.
With this in mind, manager Brian Snitker hit the panic button on Sunday by giving Ronald Acuña Jr. a day off and benching designated hitter Marcell Ozuna. Neither hitter has been at their best through the series and it served as a bit of a reset. Michael Harris would start the game on the bench as well with his continual slide. This gave Stuart Fairchild, Eli White, and both Atlanta catchers a chance to start in Sunday's lineup. It is hard to blame Snitker for the change when you consider the recent results.
The Braves Lineup Changes Fail to Make a Difference
Putting both Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy into the starting lineup is a move that is long overdue. If you're going to keep Baldwin up at this level, there is no question he needs to be in the lineup every night. Whether this is at another position or in the designated hitter role is Atlanta's problem to solve. This has been made all the more glaring by Sean Murphy's offensive regression and Baldwin's impressive defense behind the plate.
Still, the Atlanta manager making the right move by putting both players into the lineup and benching struggling pieces didn't make a difference. Grant Holmes pitched incredibly well and still ended up with a loss. A familiar story with the Atlanta offense consistently failing to come through in clutch situations or find ways to put pressure on Baltimore's defense. It ended in a loss and a demoralizing sweep that took away any remaining hope that the Braves season could turn around.