The Atlanta Braves have enjoyed a successful start to the season. They have won their first two series of the season.
The Braves secured a series win over the Athletics, continuing a successful homestand. This follows an opening series win with two straight victories over the Royals.
Shutout Success for Braves Pitching
The Braves pitching staff delivered two shutouts in four games. Bryce Elder delivered six shutout innings.
On the offensive side, the Braves scored three runs in the first inning against Jacob Lopez. This proved sufficient for the win, thanks to the strong pitching performance.
Mauricio Dubón had three RBI. This was particularly impressive considering his fielding performance.
One Loss Against the Athletics
Atlanta’s attempt to win the series initially faltered. One poor inning from Jose Suarez and a lack of timely hitting contributed to the defeat.
Drake Baldwin homered in the first inning. However, Suarez conceded three runs to the A’s in the second inning. The A’s then extended their lead to 5-1 by the top of the fifth inning.
Braves hitters struggled against Aaron Civale’s offspeed pitches. Martin Pérez relieved Joel Payamps in the fifth inning and pitched the rest of the game.
Pérez’s Performance in Relief
Walt Weiss described Pérez’s performance as a “game-saver as you could get in a loss”. Pérez said he felt good about his approach to attacking batters. He also stated that he’s feeling fully healthy for the first time since 2024.
The A’s are the type of team that the Braves have to take care of business against if they plan on playing meaningful baseball later on this year and as far as the early test goes, the Braves have passed it in fine fashion.