WASHINGTON – The Braves continued to roll as they beat Washington, 8-2, on Wednesday at Nationals Park. Atlanta has won 14 games in a row, which ties the 2013 team for the second-longest winning streak in franchise history.
Here are five observations on the Braves (37-27):
1. The Nationals and their fans will not miss the Braves.
Atlanta has won 11 consecutive games at Nationals Park, dating to April 7, 2021. That is the longest winning streak for any team in the ballpark’s 15-year history.
In this series, the Braves scored 27 runs on 37 hits. They launched 13 home runs. They outscored the Nationals by 16 runs.
They pitched well, though the offense gave the pitching staff some margin for error that went unused.
“Everything seems to be clicking right now for us, top to bottom,” said Spencer Strider, who started Wednesday’s game.
The Braves are a win away from tying the 2000 club’s post-1900 record of 15 straight victories.
“Everything,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said when asked what impressed him most in the three-game sweep. “Our pitching, the bullpen, made plays, got big hits. The whole thing.”
| NL EAST | Wins | Losses | Games back |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mets | 41 | 23 | |
| Braves | 37 | 27 | 4 |
| Phillies | 32 | 31 | 8 1/2 |
| Marlins | 28 | 33 | 11 1/2 |
| Nationals | 23 | 42 | 18 1/2 |
2. The Braves found a fifth starter. For around two months, he pitched out of the bullpen.
Now you wonder if they’ll ever put him back there.
Strider on Wednesday struck out a career-high 11 batters over 5 2/3 innings. He no-hit the Nationals for the first 4 2/3 frames of his outing, until Luis Garcia blasted a solo home run.
“A little boring,” Orlando Arcia said through interpreter Franco García about playing behind Strider. “They don’t really hit him hard.”
Strider found himself in a lot of two-strike counts. He felt he didn’t conserve pitches when needed.
Early on, Strider felt he had his good stuff. It became clear when he continued striking out batters. He now has a 2.45 ERA.
He tossed 106 pitches, his first time over the 100-pitch mark in his career.
“I didn’t pay any attention to what my pitch count was,” Strider said. “When I looked up there, I couldn’t believe that’s what it was. I felt terrific. That was surprising, but a good surprise, just that I felt that good, that far into the game.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
3. Arcia homered in back-to-back games to end the series. Michael Harris did the same to begin the series. Dansby Swanson showed pop as he continued a wonderful season. Travis d’Arnaud and Marcell Ozuna provided power.
The point: The Braves received contributions from everyone. One through nine, they looked potent and dangerous.
Arcia is a good example of the lineup’s depth. In two games since Ozzie Albies’ injury, he is 6-for-8 with six home runs and four RBIs.
“Content? I don’t see it that way obviously because no one’s happy about what happened to Ozzie,” Arcia said. “But that’s why we’re here, right? We’re here to support each other and lift each other up when those things happen, so I’m glad it’s been able to work out since.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
4. This game was once close.
Then Austin Riley arrived.
He turned a close game into a blowout with a pair of two-run home runs – one in the seventh inning, the other in the eighth. The first gave the Braves a three-run lead, the second pushed that advantage to six.
Snitker said he told Riley, “Man, you got angry there all the sudden.”
Riley’s 18 home runs are tied for the National League lead, and are tied for the second-most in baseball.
“We just know what he’s capable of,” Snitker said. “He’s another one that’s learned to hang with himself, and take each at-bat as a separate entity.”
5. The Braves won the first game of the series by four runs, the second by six runs and the third by six runs.
The Braves didn’t need to strain a bullpen that is without Collin McHugh.
Kenley Jansen did not pitch. A.J. Minter pitched once. Will Smith pitched once. Instead, the Braves used Darren O’Day twice, Jesse Chavez twice, Jackson Stephens once, Dylan Lee once and Jesus Cruz once.
“It was good,” Snitker said. “You don’t have to do that when those guys can cover the innings. We asked Jackson (Tuesday) night, Cruz (Wednesday). They’re worth their weight in gold when they can go in there and you don’t have to warm somebody up behind them. Bullpen did a great job in this series.”
Credit: Sam Baskin
Credit: Sam Baskin
Stat to know
4 - The Braves are only four games back of the Mets in the NL East standings. They were 10 1/2 games back on June 1.
Quotable
“I think it is a strong environment. We’re more than a team – we’re family. I think that unity that we have is what separates us.”-Arcia on the vibe around the Braves
Up next
The Braves are off Thursday, then on Friday open a series with the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Charlie Morton will face Chicago righty Keegan Thompson in a game that begins at 2:20 p.m. ET.
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