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Braves Bid to Wake Up Bats in Opener vs. Athletics
The Atlanta Braves expect to revive their offense as they start a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics visiting on Friday night. This is the underlying experience of the time between these groups, as Oakland won two out of three games against the Overcomes in 2024.
Recent Struggles and Offensive Woes
The Athletics have been having a tough time, going 6-18 in their last 24 games after a nail-biting 6-5 loss in 12 innings to the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday. The Braves haven’t been much better, losing five of their last seven games, including a 3-1 setback to the Washington Nationals.
Lately, the Braves have been averaging just three runs over their last six games and have been held to two runs or less in four of those contests. “I wish I knew what it was and I’d tell them and we’d correct it,” said Atlanta manager Brian Snitker. “We’re going to do like last year and keep grinding. It’s not an easy thing to get going. It’s a hard thing to do.”
Home Run Drought
Despite matching a major league record for home runs last year, the Braves have hit just 57 homers this season. They’ve gone homerless in 19 games, more than they did in the entire 2013 season. The Braves are 7-12 in games where they haven’t hit a home run, which highlights how their power outage has impacted their overall performance in the MLB.
Pitching Matchup: Reynaldo Lopez vs. J.P. Sears
The series opener will see Atlanta’s right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (2-2, 1.75 ERA) going up against Oakland’s left-hander J.P. Sears (4-3, 3.88 ERA).
Lopez, initially planned to begin on Thursday against Washington, was given an additional day off. This season, Lopez has been making the progress from the warm up area to the pivot, with Atlanta cautiously observing his innings. He will make his tenth beginning of the time, actually searching for his most memorable success since April 16. In his latest beginning against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Lopez pitched 4 2/3 innings, surrendering three runs (two procured) on five hits, one walk, and three strikeouts.
Lopez has confronted Oakland multiple times in his vocation, five as a starter, with a record of 2-2 and a noteworthy 0.89 Period. His last beginnings against the A’s came in 2021, where he permitted three runs (one procured) north of 10 innings, going 1-1 with a 0.90 Period.
Sears, making his 12th start of the season, has been a steady presence for the Athletics, especially with their pitching staff hit by injuries. In his last outing against Houston, Sears allowed one unearned run on two hits over six innings, leading the A’s to a 3-1 victory. “A big part of the season is just trying to be available as much as I can,” Sears said.
Sears has shown resilience, having made all 32 starts last year and aiming to replicate that durability this season. “Through April we had all five guys in the rotation and in May we’ve lost four of five,” said Oakland manager Mark Kotsay. “So, for J.P., testament to his resiliency. He’s coming off a year where he made all 32 starts, and I know he’s determined to do that again. That’s his mindset.”
Sears faced the Braves once in 2023, allowing one run over six innings without factoring into the decision.
Conclusion
As the Atlanta Braves expect to awaken their bats and refocus, they face an Oakland Athletics group hoping to defeat their own battles. The series opener will be critical for the two groups, with Atlanta wanting to rediscover their homer ability and Oakland depending on J.P. Singes’ security on the hill. This MLB matchup promises to be a compelling start to the series as both teams strive to improve their standings.
