The Braves are slumping and looking for answers.
"We need to get the feel back again that we seem to have lost,” manager Brian Snitker said of his team losing 12 of its last 17.
Here’s what to know about the Braves on Saturday, as they try to break a three-game skid and secure their first win over the Dodgers in the weekend series.
1. The Braves will have their first losing month of the season. They went 14-10 in April, 17-12 in May and 14-11 in June. They’re 5-12 in July, without a series win in their past seven.
2. Clayton Kershaw’s magnificence on Friday continued the Braves’ recent feast-or-famine ways. They’ve been outscored 21-6 in their past three entering Saturday.
Maybe they can bounce back against former Brave Alex Wood, who starts for the Dodgers. He’s posted a 6.05 ERA in four starts against his former club, with Tyler Flowers, Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis each hitting over .540 against him.
3. The Braves won’t win this series against the Dodgers, and have just one series win over Los Angeles since 2014 (2015). They’re 9-22 in that span, which coincides with the Braves igniting a major overhaul and the Dodgers taking off under new ownership.
4. The bullpen has absorbed much of the criticism. Arodys Vizcaino might not return until September, and his absence has spiraled the unit.
Sam Freeman owns a 7.08 ERA over his past 24 appearances, but Snitker has kept faith in the struggling lefty. The team added lefty Jonny Venters in a trade Thursday, and he threw a scoreless frame in his debut Friday.
But they’ll continue shopping for bullpen help with the trade deadline three days away.
5. On the positive end, A.J. Minter has begun blossoming. He’s struck out 26 and walked two over his past 22 appearances. He’d walked 13 in his first 23 games.
Minter is filling closer duties with Vizcaino sidelined, but perhaps he shouldn’t relinquish the role. Minter was long thought to be the eventual closer for the club, and regardless of where this season goes, the experience he’s gaining in the role has been vital.
Unless the team swings a trade for an upper-tier closer, or signs one in the offseason, Minter is its best bet.
