SAN DIEGO — Through the first two games — an admittedly tiny sample size — the Braves’ offense has been rather pesky. They have hit home runs three times and have seen two other would-be homers robbed. They have seen a ton of pitches. They have hit a lot of balls hard.
Then you zoom out and see this: They are 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position and have left 16 men on base.
“I didn’t realize it was like that, honestly,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “It feels better than that.”
Part of Snitker’s job is to push a positive agenda about his club. But his point is valid. The Braves have taken great at-bats. They have worked pitchers. They have positioned themselves for big innings.
But they are 0-2 after Friday’s 4-3 loss to the Padres at Petco Park. Had they converted a couple of more opportunities over the first two games, they might be 2-0.
So, which is it?
Should you be encouraged about the offense or frustrated about the missed opportunities?
“I’ve loved our offensive approach so far,” Snitker said. “It’s been really good. Had good at-bats. Everything will even out. We’ll get it going, score runs.”
We know what you’re thinking right about now: Oh no, not again. This is the same stuff we heard last season.
Hold on for a second! Read on a little further. It’ll make more sense. It’s not last year — it’s far too early for all that.
The Braves on Friday looked overmatched by Padres starter Dylan Cease … until he lost command and gave them an opening in the third inning. With two outs, three consecutive Braves reached for Marcell Ozuna, who plated two of them. The Braves chased Cease in the fifth inning after knocking out opening day starter Michael King in the third Thursday.
The Braves against the Padres’ top two starters: Six runs over seven innings.
The Braves against the Padres’ bullpen: One run over 11 innings.
“And that’s the thing that I’ve thought: Two really good starters that we’ve done a good job of getting their pitch count up,” Snitker said. “And this isn’t an easy bullpen to get into. Sometimes it’s like, you want to get into the bullpen — this is a deep, really good bullpen. But still, I think we’ve done a really good job in doing that, in what you just said. It’s been a lot better than we have been in the past.”
Added Matt Olson: “I mean, for the most part, I feel like the quality at-bats have been pretty solid. (Thursday), I thought they were really good at-bats. Cease got us a pretty good bit today. The bullpen got to us, too. But it doesn’t feel like out-of-control at-bats. And small sample size, (we’ve faced) some pretty good arms. Yeah, just continuing to try to put together some quality ABs and the timely stuff will come.”
Olson emphasized it multiple times in his postgame interview: Two games is a small sample size. We cannot glean much from it.
But it’s also all we have right now. And to this point, there are reasons to be encouraged — especially when it comes to this offense’s identity. After a season in which the Braves often freely swung to a detriment, they are fighting much more. Or so it seems.
On opening day, 20 of the Braves’ 35 at-bats lasted at least five pitches.
On Friday, 19 of 32 at-bats went at least five pitches.
“Well, it’s good,” Snitker said. “It’s a concerted effort by those guys. I sit in the meetings, and it’s a good plan. It’s gonna pay off for us in the long run, too. I think we’re gonna be headed in the right direction with what they’re doing.”
The man leading those hitting meetings now: Tim Hyers, the new hitting coach.
“Yeah, they’ve been good,” Olson said of the Hyers-led meetings. “I think we’ve established a little more of a team plan, and I felt like we’ve executed it pretty well. Well, I wouldn’t call it ‘well’ today. Like I said, two games, super small sample size, you’re not gonna get much to write home about on two games, but as a unit, I feel like it’s been some quality at-bats and spitting on some good pitches, making them work. If we continue to do that, the other stuff will fall into place.”
And working at-bats like that is contagious, right?
“Yeah, it grinds on these guys,” Olson said. “You ask any pitcher around, if you gotta work for three outs every inning, you’re not just given a couple of cheap outs, it’s going to take a toll on you.”
Snitker on Friday decided to let lefty Dylan Lee begin the eighth inning after throwing a quick seventh. Snitker planned for left-handed Jake Cronenworth, leading off the bottom of the eighth, to be Lee’s final batter. Cronenworth stung the Braves by launching a go-ahead homer that became the difference.
The Braves went down in order against Padres closer Robert Suarez, whom they pressured Thursday. They didn’t win either game. And they understand results are what matter.
Still, the lineup has looked good.
“Tonight, it felt like the offense had my back,” starter Reynaldo López said through interpreter Franco García. “We were down and they battled back and put us in a good spot. And they did that (Thursday), too, so this offense keeps fighting. I think they’re gonna continue to do their thing.”
They’ve fought hard during their at-bats and are 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position — all at the same time.
“I think on the back end of that, if we continue this, it’s going to be really good,” Snitker said.
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