Just a week and a half ago, the Atlanta Braves were spiraling. They had dropped 14 of 17, suffered through a second brutal seven-game losing streak, and looked like a team teetering on the brink of irrelevance.
But fast-forward to Thursday night at Truist Park, where the Braves capped off a sweep of the first-place Mets with a commanding 7-1 win, and the tone has completely shifted. Suddenly, this team looks a little dangerous.
A Sweep That Changes the Vibe
It started with one swing. Marcell Ozuna’s game-tying, two-out hit in Tuesday’s series opener seemed to wake something up. That hit sparked a comeback win in extra innings and set the tone for the next two games.
Chris Sale followed with a gem on Wednesday, nearly tossing a shutout, and then Spencer Strider took the baton Thursday, giving up just one run over six innings while retiring 12 of the final 13 batters he faced.
Manager Brian Snitker summed it up perfectly: “I kind of feel like our old selves again.” And he’s not wrong. Atlanta played a complete series for the first time in what feels like months.
Solid pitching, timely hitting, and confident energy—it was all there. That same team that once looked lost and disjointed has now won seven of their last nine games and sits just 5.5 games out of the final NL Wild Card spot.
Strider’s Rebirth Has Changed the Equation
Let’s talk about Spencer Strider for a second because the man is starting to look like his old self again—and it couldn’t come at a better time. Coming off elbow surgery and some shaky starts, Strider’s fastball velocity had been down, and the results were inconsistent. But over his last two outings? A noticeable uptick.
His heater hit 96.2 mph against the Rockies and 96 mph again versus the Mets. More importantly, he racked up a combined 31 whiffs on his slider in those two games. That’s the Spencer Strider Atlanta needs if they’re going to make a real run.
“We know what we’re capable of,” Strider said after Thursday’s win. And judging by how he’s throwing, that’s more than just optimism—it’s a warning shot to the rest of the league.
A Lineup Finding Its Pulse
While the Braves’ rotation has quietly been one of the best in baseball since May—tied with the Yankees for the lowest ERA in that span—it’s the lineup that needed a spark. And maybe, just maybe, they’ve found it.
Matt Olson delivered a key three-run double in the finale, and the offense has now scored five or more runs in six of their last nine games. That might not sound like much, but when you compare it to the stretch where they scored five or more just five times in 17 games? That’s a major turnaround.
Add to that Ronald Acuña Jr.’s blazing start, and the Braves are starting to resemble the high-powered offense fans expected heading into the season. Third baseman Austin Riley put it well: “At some point, you’ve got to let it go, let the game come to you and relax.” That’s exactly what this team looks like right now—more relaxed, more confident, more dangerous.
Are the Braves Back? Time Will Tell
This is still a team with work to do. A red-hot week doesn’t erase the hole they’ve dug or guarantee a postseason berth. But what it does do is reopen the door. They’ve come back from worse. They were under .500 in August during their 2021 World Series run. They erased a seven-game deficit in the division race in 2022.
This isn’t uncharted territory; it’s familiar ground for a battle-tested team. We do not know if this is a turning point yet. But after sweeping the division-leading Mets and watching their ace regain his form, the Braves clubhouse is growing in belief. And belief is a dangerous thing in baseball—especially when it’s backed up by results.
