CHICAGO – At times this season, many have wondered, “How?” How could this offense—once a powerhouse—vanish? How does it go silent for stretches, failing to dominate or deliver clutch hits as it has in past seasons?
For fans, it’s frustrating. For everyone else, it’s perplexing.
On Thursday, the Braves suffered a 1-0 defeat to the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. Chicago, currently baseball’s worst team with a record of 22-61 entering the game—a makeup for an April postponement—managed to outlast Atlanta, who at 44-35 still holds a strong position despite a 3-4 record on this road trip, which began triumphantly with a series win at Yankee Stadium. This loss, though just one game, saw the Braves regress to their form from the previous month.
Here are five takeaways from this disappointing loss:
1. It appeared the Braves had turned a corner after a successful homestand where they won nearly every game, including a sweep, and took a series against the Yankees, one of the league’s top teams.
The Braves seemed to have regained their stride.
But that momentum quickly faltered.
“It’s definitely disappointing,” remarked Braves manager Brian Snitker. “We were feeling good after the Yankees series. Yesterday in the doubleheader, we struggled to score runs again. Our pitching has been solid, Bryce (Elder) pitched well yesterday, the bullpen has been strong, and today Chris Sale gave us a great start. We just need to find our offensive rhythm again.”
Despite Sale’s stellar seven innings allowing only one run, the Braves lost three out of four games to end their road trip.
The Braves had looked poised to build on their successes against the Yankees, continuing their winning ways.
“Yeah, it would’ve been nice,” Sale reflected. “It’s tough to beat a team like that, especially at Yankee Stadium. But these things happen. We need to stay focused, keep doing what we know we can do. It’s not early anymore in the season, but we know what we’re capable of. We just need to keep playing good baseball, not get too down when things aren’t going our way, and not get too high when they are.”
2. Following Wednesday’s doubleheader, the Braves immediately traveled to Chicago, arriving at their hotel around midnight.
It’s not an excuse, but it certainly affected their preparation for this game.
The White Sox employed a bullpen strategy, utilizing five different pitchers.
The Braves managed only three hits, one of which was Forrest Wall’s bunt single.
When asked about the quality of their at-bats, Snitker admitted, “There wasn’t much to show from them. We just couldn’t get the hits we needed.”
Throughout the game, Atlanta had opportunities but failed to capitalize. They had runners on base early in innings but couldn’t convert, exemplified by several key moments where they hit into double plays or struck out.
“Inconsistency in performance can be frustrating,” acknowledged Ozzie Albies, reflecting on the road trip. “We faced different challenges in different stadiums—small parks, big parks. We’re frustrated, but we’ll regroup at home. We have a long homestand ahead, and we believe we’ll bounce back.”
The Braves did make some solid contact, including a near-homer by Marcell Ozuna in the eighth that was caught spectacularly at the right-field wall.
3. The turning point came early in the game when Luis Robert Jr. hit a solo home run off Chris Sale in the first inning, connecting on a well-placed slider.
“Luis Robert is a top-notch hitter,” Sale acknowledged. “I threw the slider, he was ready for it, and he made a good swing. It’s not often that a first-inning solo shot decides a game, but that’s baseball for you. We’ll take this energy back home and get back on track.”
Despite Sale’s career-high 11 strikeouts and allowing only four hits and one walk, the lone run was enough to seal the Braves’ fate.
“He pitched a fantastic game today,” praised Marcell Ozuna. “He trusted us to get the job done, but unfortunately, we couldn’t provide the support needed to turn this into a win or even a no-decision. It’s tough.”
4. Returning to the city where he began his career with the White Sox, Sale reflected on his time there.
“I’ve always enjoyed coming back,” Sale shared. “It’s a bit surreal, but once you’re on the mound, it’s just baseball. I have great memories here, but now my focus is on winning with my current team.”
Sale, who also played for Boston, has a strong track record against Chicago, boasting a 2.92 ERA over 37 innings with 57 strikeouts in six starts against them.
5. Looking ahead, the Braves are shifting their focus to the upcoming series opener against the Pirates at Truist Park.
Atlanta’s pitching lineup will feature Charlie Morton, Max Fried, and Spencer Schwellenbach in that order, with rookie Paul Skenes set to start on Saturday.
The Braves aim to regroup quickly and return to their winning ways as they head into this critical homestand.
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