When the Braves walked off with a victory against the Marlins on Thursday afternoon, it completed a 13-game stretch against the National League East to begin the season.
There were mixed results: The Braves were swept in Philadelphia and lost the first game in Washington to start 0-4. They rebounded nicely, sweeping a doubleheader against the Nationals and taking the first two from the Phillies to begin their homestand. They lost the series finale against Philadelphia on the controversial replay-review call. They then lost three consecutive against the Marlins before rallying Thursday to avoid a sweep.
So the Braves sit at 5-8, an uninspiring record, but certainly a manageable one in the young season. The Braves’ next five series are against non-divisional opponents in the Cubs, Yankees, Diamondbacks, Cubs and Blue Jays. They’ll next face an NL East foe May 4 against the Nationals. They’ll see the Mets for the first time May 17.
“I know it gets talked about a lot, but I don’t know if it gets enough credit: The starting pitching in this division is pretty freaking spectacular,” Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson said. “The bullpens have been awesome. I feel like everybody is throwing really well against us, too. There’s a lot of talent in this division up and down. Miami has a great staff, Philly, D.C., the Mets.
“It is pretty remarkable to think about, but I know the old saying that iron sharpens iron. Facing good competition throughout the year primes you for big moments later in the year and in the playoffs.”
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