Five takeaways from the Braves’ 6-3 win over the Mets in New York on Thursday afternoon:
1. The win completed a nine-games-in-eight-days road trip in which the Braves split four games with the Phillies and won three of five from the Mets and basically maintained the status quo in the National League East standings.
When the trip began, the Braves were 4-1/2 games behind the first-place Mets and one game behind the second-place Phillies. Now, the Braves are four games behind the Mets and a half game behind the Phillies.
In other words: The Braves (51-52) didn’t make up much ground on the trip, but they didn’t fall out of the race, either.
“With our struggles and how we’ve had the ups and downs and everything, we’re right there,” manager Brian Snitker said. “I look ahead, and I’m thinking if we can keep weathering storms for a week or two, we’re going to get some guys back (meaning catcher Travis d’Arnaud and pitcher Huascar Ynoa from the injured list).”
2. The Braves’ oft-criticized bullpen was flawless Thursday. Called into action early when starter Drew Smyly was lifted with a 5-3 lead and no outs in the fifth inning, the bullpen scattered three hits over five scoreless innings.
In order, Jesse Chavez pitched one inning, Tyler Matzek two innings, Luke Jackson one inning and Will Smith the final inning. Matzek, who Snitker said may have thrown the best in his two seasons on the team, got six outs on only 12 pitches (11 strikes).
“The bullpen just completely (shut) them down when I came out of the game early,” Smyly said. “Our bullpen has got some really nasty stuff.”
3. Braves third baseman Austin Riley had quite a trip, going 14-for-35 (.400) with six home runs. Four of the homers came in the final three games in New York, including a two-run blast Thursday.
“The biggest thing for me is just making sure that I stick to my strengths and my plan,” Riley said. “If I can have a good plan going up there and stick with it, I’m going to give myself a chance to do some damage and barrel balls up. I feel like here recently the plan has been good. Hopefully I can continue that.”
Smyly on Riley: “When he gets hot, he gets really hot. Having a guy like that in the lineup, you expect him to do something good every time.”
4. The Braves continued an inexplicable 14-game stretch of following every loss with a win and every win with a loss. They haven’t won or lost back-to-back games since the All-Star break. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it’s the Braves franchise’s longest such pattern of alternating wins and losses since ... 1895. It’s also the longest win-loss-win-loss stretch by any team in MLB this season.
5. The Braves returned to Atlanta after Thursday’s game and will play another first-place team -- the NL Central-leading and pitching-rich Milwaukee Brewers (60-42) -- at Truist Park in a three-game series beginning Friday night.
The Brewers are scheduled to start right-hander Corbin Burnes (6-4, 2.12 ERA) on Friday, right-hander Brandon Woodruff (7-5, 2.14) on Saturday and left-hander Brett Anderson (3-5, 3.86) on Sunday. The Braves’ scheduled starters, in order, are Touki Toussaint (1-1, 1.32), Kyle Muller (2-3, 2.55) and Charlie Morton (10-3, 3.72).
By the numbers
18: Home runs hit by Dansby Swanson this season, a career high for him and two away from tying the franchise’s single-season record for homers by a shortstop (20 by Denis Menke in 1964).
Quotable
“We’re hanging in there. That’s all I can say. Hopefully we get on that run that we’ve been waiting on for four months.“ -- Braves manager Brian Snitker
Up next
The Braves start a short three-game homestand Friday with the opener of a weekend series against Milwaukee. Touki Toussaint will start for the Braves and Corbin Burnes for the Brewers.
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