The Braves have lost four games in a row. They’ve lost five of six.
They’ve allowed 35 runs in that stretch. Their fielding has been uncharacteristically poor, with three errors in a 16-13 loss Tuesday to Arizona and a couple of more misplays Wednesday. Their hitters mashed Tuesday, but struggled in losses Sunday and Wednesday.
To outsiders, the sky is falling. To the Braves, it’s just baseball.
“The beauty of this game is anyone can beat anyone at any time,” catcher Travis d’Arnaud said. “Including off-days, we’re here for 180 days. If you let four days get to you, what happens four days from now if you think about it every single second? It’s part of a season, and you just keep going.”
Manager Brian Snitker has remained similarly level-headed, even after sloppy losses.
“We’ve been very fortunate to stay away from a lot of that this year, but it happens,” Snitker said. After so much good play over the first months of the season, especially after a 21-4 June, he’s not concerned about a loss, two losses, or even four in a row.
Following consecutive losses to the White Sox, first baseman Matt Olson was asked if the team needed to bounce back against the Diamondbacks. He smiled at the question.
“I wouldn’t call it needing to bounce back,” Olson said. “We’re in a good spot here. We’ve got a really good team. Lost a couple of games. We were close (Saturday night), and (White Sox pitcher Dylan) Cease threw a good game today. We’ll be fine Tuesday.”
Even as the losing streak has extended to Tuesday and Wednesday, the Braves aren’t concerned. Pitcher Charlie Morton was disappointed in his own performance Wednesday, but wasn’t worried how the losses would affect the team.
“When things are going well, I didn’t get the impression that the guys were just coasting,” Morton said. “I got the impression that there’s a general sense of confidence in the room. I think with that comes a little bit of comfort, but I don’t think it’s a lax comfort. I think it’s more just a quiet confidence.”
That isn’t to say the team enjoys losing. Every player asked has said they hate the feeling, but they understand it’s a long season. Center fielder Michael Harris II used the same phrase many Braves have used.
“It’s baseball, it happens,” Harris said. “Maybe we’re going so well, at some point, you kind of think it will switch and momentum will go the other way. But we’re a good team, and we know we can come back and flip the switch in a second.”
Part of the reason outsiders are so concerned about the losing streak is that it’s approaching foreign territory. Four games matches the longest stretch of the season, set April 19-23 with a loss to the Padres and a three-game sweep by the Astros. If the Braves lose Thursday, it would be their first five-game losing streak since 2017.
While there is more than just one reason for the struggles, the main reason has to be injuries. Snitker and his players shrugged off the excuse, but the Braves lost AJ Minter, Sam Hilliard, Kolby Allard and briefly Eddie Rosario over the past week. Eleven Braves on the 40-man roster are on the IL.
With the injuries come new faces, but d’Arnaud believes the Braves’ clubhouse is uniquely positioned to absorb the revolving door and the losing stretch. He attributed that clubhouse for why the team wasn’t concerned.
“We have so much experience in this room,” d’Arnaud said. “You got guys with 14 years, 12 years, a few guys over 10 years on top of that. Things like this happen over 162.”
Of course, d’Arnaud hates losing, too. He hopes All-Star pitcher Spencer Strider, pitching Thursday, will help the Braves back into the win column.
“Everyone’s confident when he’s out there on the mound,” d’Arnaud said. “We’re really excited that we have him going.”
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