MIAMI – The Braves have won 10 of 12 games entering Monday, surging to first place in the National League East after spending most of the season stuck at or below .500.
Five stats about the team’s turnaround:
1. When the streak began, the Braves were four games back, trailing the Phillies and Mets in the standings. They’ve jumped the Phillies by one game. They lead the Mets by 2-1/2 after New York spent three months in pole position.
2. The Braves are 32-21 since their lowest point, when they were 30-35 and 7-1/2 games back. Their record since that time is the fifth best in the majors. If they ultimately win the division, it would be the fourth time they won a division after trailing by at least 7-1/2 games. Their greatest rally, of course, came in 1993, when they overcame a 10-game deficit.
3. The offense – specially, the infield – has led the charge. The Braves have averaged six runs per game over their stretch, homering twice per contest. First baseman Freddie Freeman and third baseman Austin Riley each hit his 25th homer in Sunday’s victory. Shortstop Dansby Swanson has 24 homers. Second baseman Ozzie Albies is at 22. They’re vying to become the first infield in MLB history in which every starter had 30-plus home runs.
4. Swanson has been the Braves’ hottest player. He homered four times and had nine RBIs during the weekend’s sweep over Washington. He’s hitting .345/.389/.662 over his past 36 games, raising his average from .226 to .265.
5. Room for improvement: Only twice in the 12 games have the Braves recorded more than two hits with runners in scoring position. They were 0-for-6 in such situations Sunday. During the 12-game span, the Braves are hitting .239 (21-for-88) with runners in scoring position.
