The Atlanta Braves are hitting a rough patch, dropping their fifth straight game after a 4-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. It's a tough time for fans, and even General Manager Alex Anthopoulos is feeling the heat.
\"I don't normally do scrums during the season because we've done well,\" Anthopoulos admitted to reporters before the game. \"If I'm doing them, that means we're not playing well.\" Ouch.
After racking up over 100 wins in each of the past two seasons, the Braves now find themselves with a 35-30 record. They're sitting in second place in the National League East Division, a whopping 10.5 games behind the red-hot Philadelphia Phillies.
Anthopoulos didn't hold back on praising the competition. \"The Phillies are obviously playing exceptionally well—best team arguably in the game right now—but it's about making sure you get to the playoffs one way or the other,\" he said. \"Right now, the NL, I bet you if you took a lot of these teams and these front offices, they'd tell you the same thing. No one's playing the way they thought they would—barring Brewers, Dodgers, Phillies.\"
Braves fans were hoping for a continuation of their six-year streak of NL East titles, a run that even includes a World Series win in 2021. But with the season approaching its midpoint, time is ticking for the team to turn things around.
Adding to their challenges, the Braves have lost top pitcher Spencer Strider to elbow surgery and will be without reigning NL Most Valuable Player Ronald Acuña Jr. for the rest of the season due to a knee injury. Talk about bad luck.
\"The offensive issues seem like they're spread across the league,\" Anthopoulos noted. \"A lot of GMs are saying the same thing. People feel like they're not hitting the way they can.\"
Here's hoping the Braves find their groove soon! ⚾️💪
Reference(s):
GM Alex Anthopoulos admits Atlanta Braves 'not playing well'
cgtn.com
