SAN DIEGO – The Braves’ season is over following a 5-4 loss to the Padres on Wednesday night. They were swept in the best-of-three wild-card series in San Diego.
Here are five observations:
1. This was possibly Max Fried’s final start with the Braves – he’s a free agent this winter – and he was undone by a scorching-hot Padres offense and some bad luck that included four infield hits.
Fried allowed five runs on eight hits in just two innings. He left with the Braves trailing 5-1. It was a brutal ending for Fried, who’s one of the most accomplished pitchers in franchise history and is considered likely to sign elsewhere this winter.
“It’s deflating and frustrating knowing we played a good enough game to ultimately win, but I put us in too big a hole and lost it,” Fried said. “It’s definitely a tough one to swallow.”
The Padres recorded six consecutive two-out hits in the inning. The last two hits: Manny Machado’s double that scored two and Jackson Merrill’s triple that produced another two runs. That was the difference as the Braves couldn’t overcome the deficit.
“To be down by four runs and then come back within one, it showed the fight we had all year,” catcher Travis d’Arnaud said. “Unfortunately, we just came up short. It sucks. Our season is over.”
2. Reflecting on his Braves career, Fried – who started the clinching Game 6 of the 2021 World Series – shared the following:
“To me, it means everything,” Fried said after a lengthy pause to collect his thoughts. “It’s the organization that traded for me and gave me the opportunity to come to the big leagues and be an established big-league player. Everyone from my teammates day in and day out, our coaching staff, the front office, organization, fans, city; obviously I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I have absolutely loved every minute of it and hope to have many more.”
3. One year after the Braves’ offense set records, the unit was the subject of continued frustration throughout the year, even beyond the injury woes. That persisted in the postseason. In Game 1, the Braves were shut out, struck out 15 times and didn’t draw a walk. In Game 2, they managed four runs, but the offensive limitations were still well on display.
The bottom four of the lineup – outfielder Ramon Laureano, third baseman Gio Urshela, catcher Sean Murphy and shortstop Orlando Arcia – went a combined 1-for-13 with six strikeouts and no walks. Middle-of-the-order boppers Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson were a combined 1-for-7. The Braves just didn’t have enough offense, as has often been the case this season.
Outfielder Michael Harris II was 3-for-4, producing half the team’s hits. He had five of the Braves’ 13 hits in the series. His performance was among the few bright spots after he went 1-for-27 over the past two Octobers. Certainly, the Braves eagerly await the returns of outfielder Ronald Acuña and third baseman Austin Riley next season.
4. The Braves have several key players slated to be free agents, including Fried, veteran starter Charlie Morton and injured lefty A.J. Minter. Morton, 40, has been viewed as likely to retire, but he wasn’t ready to announce any decision following Wednesday’s loss.
“Thankful for every day I got to walk through those doors and see those guys,” Morton said of his teammates. Regarding his future, Morton said: “I think about (my future) all the time. It’s a decision I’ll make with my family and obviously whatever circumstances there are for baseball going forward. But that’s something where I have to go home, decompress and talk with my family and wife and kids.”
5. There are layers here: The 2024 Braves were a major disappointment based on preseason expectations. This team quickly justified lowering those standards, though, as a barrage of injuries weakened a once-great roster.
Under the more positive viewpoint, these Braves probably maxed out their capabilities. The newcomers, several of whom were signed after getting released by other clubs, all helped the Braves reach 89 wins and earn a postseason berth. The rotation was sensational throughout the regular season. The bullpen was also splendid.
Ultimately, the Braves simply weren’t good enough against a team like San Diego, which is vying for its first championship. The Braves who began the season in North Port, Florida, would have been worthy adversaries; these wound up postseason fodder.
The 2024 Braves will be remembered for what they couldn’t be. They’ll be a remembered as a “what if” had the injury bug not derailed them. They’ll be remembered as one of the more snake-bitten teams in franchise history.
Nonetheless, it was an accomplishment to have overcome so many injuries and bad fortune to qualify for the postseason.
“Just the tenacity, the drive, the consistency, the work ethic, how they never - everything that these guys went through, nobody was ever, woe is me, and they weren’t griping about anything,” manager Brian Snitker said. “They just kept playing. They kept playing. They kept working. The energy never waned. Their attitude has never waned. I just talked to them, too. I’m about as proud of a team as I’ve ever had, quite honestly, with how they’ve handled everything.”
Stat to know
23:1 -- The Braves struck out 23 times and walked once in 18 innings against San Diego.
Quotable
“We won 89 games. I’m so proud of those guys. I just told them that. It’s amazing what they did, I think, to put ourselves in contention. We had a chance here. We got in the tournament. Get a hit yesterday, hit today, who knows? We may be playing tomorrow. But we’re not. It’s the way this thing is. That’s how fragile this is and how hard it is. You just remember how hard it is in this long season for things to go right for you.” – Snitker
Up next
The Braves enter a winter in which they’ll be tasked with addressing several spots, perhaps including the rotation, shortstop and/or the outfield. But the team will bring a strong core to spring training as its All-Stars return healthy.
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