PITTSBURGH — The Atlanta Braves are playing arguably their best infield defense in years, and it’s been especially important for a team with such an erratic offense. This team can’t afford defensive miscues if it hopes to become a serious playoff contender.
“Yeah, we don’t want to give away anything,” said shortstop Nick Allen, the infield’s only newcomer, who has strengthened the unit with solid and sometimes spectacular plays. “If you can limit the amount of times the (other) team can touch each bag, that’s going to be good at the end of the day. And then when the offense comes around, then it all just kind of takes off.”
The Braves are waiting for that offense to come around again. They’re still trying to get their record to .500 for the first time this season, and they failed to do so again Friday. Braves hitters slipped back to moribund mode against the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates in a 3-2 loss at PNC Park.
The Braves mustered two hits in six innings against left-hander Brady Falter, who entered with a 5.06 ERA and exited at 4.36. Atlanta had won 13 of 19 games since a 5-13 start but opened the series with a clunker against the Pirates, who came in at 12-26 and fired their manager Thursday.
With a win Friday, the Braves, who began the season with seven losses, could’ve tied an MLB record for the fastest team to reach .500 after such a start: The 1945 Boston Red Sox started 0-7 and got to the mark in their 38th game.
But for the fourth time this season, when they were one win from even, the Braves lost. Two losses were against the Colorado Rockies, who are off to a historically awful start, and now the Pirates, who got three runs and two homers against Braves starter Bryce Elder and hung on for the win.
“We’d like to get over that .500 hump and start getting on the winning side of things,” Braves first baseman Matt Olson said. “Definitely not a good offensive performance from us tonight. Bryce threw the ball really well. Bullpen threw the ball well. We just couldn’t give him any support there until the end.”
The Braves are still waiting for their offense to come around again. (Justin Berl / Getty Images)
From one night to the next, there’s no predicting when the Braves might hit three homers and score six or seven runs against good pitching or get shut down by a guy with a 5.00 ERA.
“They’re frustrating,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of losses like Friday’s. “We’re kind of coming alive at the end, but you’d like to try and pile something on just so that guy on the mound is not on the edge of ruin all the time. And it will (happen). We’ve got a couple of guys that are scuffling, which is going to happen. I just keep waiting to get this thing clicking, and hopefully it will.”
The Braves (18-20) don’t have to face Pirates ace Paul Skenes in this series, so there’s still a good chance to reach .500 before they leave Pittsburgh on Sunday. But they will have to do considerably more with their bats than they did Friday.
The Braves didn’t score until the ninth inning, after a leadoff triple by Eli White. Michael Harris II had a sacrifice fly, and the Braves got a second run after two-out singles from Alex Verdugo and rookie pinch hitter Drake Baldwin, whose RBI got them within a run before Ozzie Albies lined out to end it.
They finished 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position, and when the Braves had two on with one out in the eighth inning, Nos. 3-4 hitters Marcell Ozuna and Olson struck out. Olson also popped out with two on and one out in the first inning, the only time the Braves advanced a runner to second against Falter.
“You’re gonna be frustrated with a night like that,” Olson said. “We had some chances, especially me personally, with some guys in scoring position. And just not good at-bats. There’s no way to put it nicely. You want those situations, and you want to go out and produce. And (we) didn’t until the end.”
The often-maligned Elder allowed five hits and no walks with eight strikeouts and has a 3.52 ERA in his past four outings, including three quality starts — six innings or more, three earned runs or fewer — after posting a 7.20 ERA in his first three starts.
Elder allowed only one homer in his past three starts before giving up two Friday to the Pirates’ Nos. 8-9 hitters: Alexander Canario and Jared Triolo.
The often-maligned Bryce Elder allowed five hits and no walks with eight strikeouts in Friday’s game at PNC Park. (Justin Berl / Getty Images)
What didn’t slip Friday, the component that hasn’t been erratic whatsoever, was the defense by Braves infielders, who last made an error April 21 (by Albies) and have shone brightly on the field and in advanced metrics that quantify range, arm strength and overall defensive performance.
“It’s just guys who are athletic, guys who are taking pride in it,” third baseman Austin Riley said of Atlanta’s infield. “It’s not all about offense. And I think it starts with (Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos). Alex has always talked about defense and playing good defense, and he goes and gets those guys.”
Entering Friday, the Braves ranked at or near the top of the majors in several metrics at multiple positions, including defensive runs saved (DRS), outs above average (OAA) and range.
At first base, where Olson has played every inning, the Braves were tied with the Kansas City Royals for first in the majors in OAA and range. His 7 DRS was far and away MLB’s leader at the position, with no other first baseman higher than 2 DRS and the Tampa Bay Rays (4) the only other team above 3.
Riley has started every game at third base, where the Braves were tied for fourth in the majors with 4 OAA and also tied for fourth in range. Individually, Riley was tied for fifth among MLB third basemen with 3 DRS.
The newcomer to the infield, Allen, has been terrific on defense since displacing Orlando Arcia at shortstop after the fifth game. Allen entered Friday as the MLB leader among shortstops in OAA with 7, one more than Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. and the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Geraldo Perdomo.
Allen was well ahead of all other shortstops in defensive range and trailed only Tampa Bay’s Taylor Walls in DRS.
The only infield position where the Braves aren’t in the top tier is second base, where Albies has played every game and was tied for seventh in DRS with 1 and tied for 12th in OAA with minus-1.
But even with Albies’ weak arm — it’s rated last among qualified MLB infielders — he still plays good enough defense not to be viewed as a liability by those in the clubhouse. Allen cited a particularly slick double play Albies turned recently.
Still, it could be interesting to see if the Braves consider giving the versatile White, currently the hot-hitting right-field fill-in, any starts at second base after star right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr.’s expected return within the next several weeks from a year-long rehab following knee surgery.
For now, the Braves indicate no desire to cut back on Albies’ playing time. They could be reluctant to do so when the defense is functioning at such a high level, and the switch-hitting Albies has been known to begin torrid offensive stretches without warning and has a far better track record for hitting than White.
Though Snitker can’t be certain what he’ll get from his offense on any night, he knows when he pencils in those four infielders’ names, it will likely be a stellar defensive effort on the dirt by the Braves.
“I’ve had to work a ton on (defense), and it’s gotten better,” Riley said. “I think there’s still some room for improvement. What Nicky’s done has been pretty incredible. And you know what you’re getting with Ozzie, and Matt’s a Gold Glover. But like I said, I think it starts with Alex and how he values defense. It starts from there and then works its way down.”
Three of the infielders have worked together since Olson was traded to the Braves before the 2022 season. They know each other thoroughly on the field and off. Allen has been a quick study and fits in seamlessly with the others.
“That doesn’t hurt, I’ll tell you that,” Snitker said of the familiarity factor among Braves infielders. “And then, Nick’s filled in unbelievably. Just what he’s been doing has been phenomenal, the plays that he’s been making and how steady he is. He just jumped right in. He got an opportunity and earned the job.”
(Top photo of Nick Allen: Justin Berl / Getty Images)
