WASHINGTON — The Braves scored 35 runs in their past 15 games before Tuesday, including five shutout losses and two other games with only one run scored.
It’s put even more focus on the failures of an offense that’s struggled mightily this season, with the second-fewest runs in the majors — ahead of only the Padres — and fifth-lowest on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.674) in the majors.
And after leading the National League with 181 homers in 2013, the Braves were ninth in the league with 115 before Tuesday – 53 fewer than Colorado and 27 fewer than the Cubs.
“We’re just having guys that aren’t doing what I think we expect of ourselves,” third baseman Chris Johnson, batting .264 with a .294 on-base percentage, 145 strikeouts and 22 double plays grounded into before Tuesday, a year after he led the NL batting race for much of the season and finished at .321 with a .358 OBP.
“I expected to have a better season after figuring out some stuff last year, but that’s how baseball goes. Year-in, year-out it’s a different year and it doesn’t matter what you did last year, it doesn’t matter.”
Hitting coach Greg Walker has drawn increased criticism, particularly from fans who wonder why the Braves’ once-potent offense has been so disappointing this year. But the players say it’s on them, not Walker or assistant hitting coach Scott Fletcher.
“It seems like when fans look at it they want someone to take the fall for it, but it’s not Walk,” veteran backup catcher Gerald Laird said. “We’re doing the same things we did last year, guys are doing the same routines…. The thing is, last year we had a great year and I think, like, five of six guys had career year. Obviously Freddie Freeman had a career year. Andrelton (Simmons) had a career year. Chris Johnson had a career year And then you’ve got to try to repeat it. And if there’s a few guys that don’t do that, then your offense is going to take a hit.
“These guys understand. If you go ask anybody on this team, they love Walk. Walk does a great job. But he understands the game and how people are going to say things. But it’s not his fault. We’ve got to go out there and perform.”
They got career seasons in 2013 from Freeman (.319 average, 109 RBIs, .897 OPS) and Johnson (.321 average, 46 extra-base hits, .816 OPS), plus 50 extra-base hits (17 homers) from Simmons, all of whom have significantly less production in 2014.
Johnson downplayed the role of the hitting coach in a team’s struggles.
“We’re in the big leagues for a reason,” he said. “For me, yourself is your best hitting coach. I don’t think by any means should a coach be penalized for us struggling. Our hitting coaches are doing everything they possibly can to help us. Everything. So it’s not like if you had somebody else in here different right now that it would be a different story. I don’t think that’s the case at all.”
Left fielder Justin Upton said, “The hitting coach is there to keep an eye on you, to make sure mechanically you’re not doing anything completely different. But when it comes down to it, it’s up to you, you’ve got to go out there and do it. Walk’s very good. He’s always got suggestions. He can only give you so much. Sometimes you’ve got to find it on your own.
“He’s done a great job with us. It’s just, it hasn’t clicked.”
