2025 Atlanta Braves season thread

[Déjà Bru]

Talk about a silver lining.

Atlanta Braves

Record: 3-9

What more could've gone wrong? They started 0-7 on a really difficult trip to San Diego and Los Angeles, which they won't have to do again. Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider aren't yet back from major injuries. Matt Olson is hitting .190 with a .333 slugging percentage, Ozzie Albies has a 53 OPS+, Austin Riley is hitting .224 with 17 strikeouts against three walks, Michael Harris II has a 51 OPS+, Sean Murphy started the season injured and Jurickson Profar got nailed for PEDs. On the pitching side, Chris Sale and Reynaldo López have gotten hit.

Enough already, right?

[The silver lining follows.]

Through all this, the Braves have won three of five and just took a series from the Phillies.

[LD84]

Can I start drinking yet?

This season seems like it will be full of frustration

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by LD84

Can I start drinking yet?

This season seems like it will be full of frustration

One tasting guide for Swiss beer says, "The most popular beer in Switzerland, Feldschlösschen Original is a light lager that's unlikely to offend with its crisp, clean taste. The other big hitter in the lager market is Calanda Bräu, which is based in Chur and has been brewing since 1902."

Please drink only in moderation, however.

[Déjà Bru]

Braves, puttin' the whoopin' to the Jays tonight.

Nice outing by Grant Holmes (until he tired a bit in the eighth and Bummer was a bummer) and they continue to get good production from Sean Murphy, Nick Allen, and Austin Riley (5 RBIs).

They're 5-4 since that 0-7 start. No big deal? Well, I'd say playing around .500 is an improvement for now, until Ozuna and Acuna are back.

[LD84]

I hope the Ozuna hip injury is minor. And just over .500 is okay. But they need a long winning streak to get back into the NL East by the end of this month.

[Déjà Bru]

Spencer Strider making his first start of the season today. Let's see how he does.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Spencer Strider making his first start of the season today. Let's see how he does.

Well, you look for bright spots in situations such as this.

First, this is not too shabby for his first start in almost exactly a year:

5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO, 1 HR, 97 P

Second, there is this: Spencer Strider makes MLB strikeout history in Braves ace's first major-league start since 2024 UCL surgery

The history?

He struck out five of the 21 batters he faced, giving him 500 for his career. In addition to being a round number, that's a notable achievement since it made him the quickest primary starter to that mark. Here's the full top five:

1. Spencer Strider: 334 IP
2. Freddy Peralta: 372 IP
3. Shohei Ohtani: 388 ⅔ IP
4. Tyler Glasnow: 398 ⅓ IP
5. Dylan Cease: 399 ⅓ IP

You'll take it, eh?

[LD84]

I am getting a little bit of hope back
A nice sweep of the Twins. Cardinals are next. Another sweep or taking two out of the three would be a good outcome.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by LD84

I am getting a little bit of hope back.

Caution! It is precisely at this point that the baseball gods are likely to strike!

For, they delight in giving you a bit of solace so that you build up hope, and then lower the boom with multiple-game losing streaks, star slumps and injuries, earthquakes, what have you. Their enjoyment is maximized as they crush your nascent hope.

Better to keep your emotions in check, both ways. Deny them the pleasure of your despair on the one hand, and tempt them not with elation on the other. Wait until the issue is decided and fate is beyond their evil manipulations.

[Déjà Bru]

Woof. I thought I was kidding. Now I am not so sure.

Braves ace Spencer Strider lands on IL with hamstring strain just one start into return from UCL surgery

[Amazin69]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Woof. I thought I was kidding. Now I am not so sure.

Braves ace Spencer Strider lands on IL with hamstring strain just one start into return from UCL surgery

Was it the Killer Grass again? That's what got Kodai Senga last season, you might recall.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Amazin69

Was it the Killer Grass again? That's what got Kodai Senga last season, you might recall.

You know how something can be almost overlooked, but the mind retains it subconsciously and irritates you afterwards? That happened in this case.

Specifically, I went back to that article just now and sure enough; it was in the very first line: "Atlanta Braves ace Spencer Strider strained his right hamstring Monday while playing catch . . ."

Strain a hamstring while playing catch?

Well, with Chris Sale doing a Jekyll and Hyde (currently Hyde) and Reynaldo López out for most of the year, the next best option is to bring up somebody named Michael Peterson from Triple-A. Also, "Another option would be Scott Blewett, a reliever who was acquired from the Orioles for cash considerations on Sunday."

Wait. This time I caught it in the first pass. Scott . . . Blewett?

"The Braves in desperation started a four-time DFA reliever and Uni-President Lions alumnus today. It was his first career start and a chance to revive his career but Scott Blewett."

[Hmmm. That was gratuitously nasty. Maybe he will do well? Good luck to him.]

[Amazin69]

Seriously, with that surname, I would insist on being a starter and nothing but a starter.

[Déjà Bru]

Eli White!

Who?

Never mind, "who." He's the hero of the day, that's who!

Braves have won 6 of their last 10 and are now only 4 games under .500.

Here's another interesting fact: They are 8-3 at home! Unfortunately, they should avoid traveling, as their record is 2-11 on the road.

[LD84]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Eli White!

Who?

Never mind, "who." He's the hero of the day, that's who!

Braves have won 6 of their last 10 and are now only 4 games under .500.

Here's another interesting fact: They are 8-3 at home! Unfortunately, they should avoid traveling, as their record is 2-11 on the road.

These series wins are nice. Maybe .500 by the end of April. Then in May begin to climb up the NL East

[Déjà Bru]

Great comeback win over the Diamondbacks tonight! They didn't let Suárez's four home runs bother them. They were down 6-2 through six innings and they let the D'backs back in the game in the 9th but they pulled it out in the 10th on a wild pitch.

Um, don't look now . . . oh, alright, go ahead . . . but you're no longer in last place in the NL East.

[Amazin69]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Um, don't look now . . . oh, alright, go ahead . . . but you're no longer in last place in the NL East.

To quote Buffy Summers, "Spoil my fun!"



(Sorry, but the site with dialogue included on the screencaps isn't working.)

[Déjà Bru]

Let's see if you can sweep the Rockies who are, incredibly, already being talked about as projecting to be worse, by far, than last year's White Sox.

[LD84]

A sweep would them to back to .500 overall by the last day of April.

This is a team they should sweep. But in baseball, any single game can be won or lost.

[Amazin69]

It should be pointed out that the Braves did, in fact, contribute 1 of the White Sux' 41 wins last season. But yeah, you would expect to sweep the Colorado Coors…if you're ready to take advantage of the chance.