Austin Riley delivered one of his best performances of the season on Sunday as the Atlanta Braves defeated the Texas Rangers 8-5 at Truist Park, giving Atlanta a series victory by taking two of three games.
Riley powered the Braves’ offense with two home runs and four RBIs, providing a much-needed reminder of the impact he can have when everything is working at the plate. The two-homer performance was his second multi-home run game of the season and his first since April 17.
Riley Explains What Changed
After the game, Riley gave an honest assessment of what changed following the All-Star break. Rather than spending the break making mechanical adjustments in the batting cage, he said the biggest benefit came from stepping away from the game mentally.
“No, I actually didn’t do anything over the break,” Riley told reporters. “Just more of a mental break. That first half it beat me up pretty good.”
Riley explained that while he and the coaching staff have worked on adjustments throughout the season, translating those changes into live game situations has been the difficult part.
“It’s not one thing,” Riley said. “It’s a combination of things that we’ve been working on all season. Building the muscle memory. You can do the right moves in the cage and everything looks right. Then you get out there, face a hundred, and it’s tough to repeat those movements without thinking about them.”
He added that thinking too much about mechanics while facing elite major league pitching can become a problem.
“When you’re thinking about mechanics and trying to hit a hundred, it’s hard,” Riley said. “Being able to build some muscle memory there on a few things and just going out there and focusing on what the pitcher is trying to do. It’s encouraging.”
Looking to Turn the Season Around
The comments offer a look into the challenge Riley has faced this season. Once regarded as one of the National League’s most dangerous hitters, the two-time MLB All-Star has struggled to find consistency. Through 98 games, he is batting .217 with 77 hits, 12 home runs, 47 RBIs, 43 runs scored, and six stolen bases.
Despite those numbers, Sunday’s performance showed the type of production the Braves know Riley is capable of providing.
During the game, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman pointed out that Riley had homered in each of his first two plate appearances against Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi.
“Austin Riley has homered in both of his first two plate appearances against Nathan Eovaldi,” Bowman wrote. “This is his second multihomer game of the year, first since April 17. Is it still bold to predict he’ll hit 25-plus? He’s at 12 now.”
Braves Stay on Top
Whether Riley can reach that total remains to be seen, but his performance against Texas was an encouraging sign after a difficult first half. His explanation suggests that the biggest adjustment may not have been physical at all. Instead, taking time to clear his mind may have helped him trust the work he had already put in throughout the season.
Atlanta continues to hold first place in the National League East with a 57-41 record through 98 games. If Riley can build on Sunday’s breakout performance, the Braves’ lineup could become even more dangerous as the season moves into its final stretch.
