ATLANTA -- Regardless of the result of Monday’s makeup game against the Giants, the Braves will have plenty of reasons to fondly remember what transpired during this current homestand.
Sean Murphy homered yet again and Tyler Mahle spun another gem as the Braves completed a three-game series sweep with a 3-2, 10-inning win over the Rockies on Sunday afternoon. Atlanta has won seven straight, including each of the first six games of this homestand that began with a three-game sweep of the Dodgers.
Ronald Acuña Jr. began the bottom of the 10th with a single that moved automatic runner Brewer Hicklen to third. Matt Olson followed by lacing his game-ending liner past the first-base bag.
The Braves (82-55) are 5 1/2 games in front of the second-place Phillies (76-60) in the National League East. They remained tied with the Dodgers (82-55) in the battle for the second of the NL’s two postseason byes, though Atlanta holds the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Here are some of the most encouraging developments of the homestand:
Two productive catchers
Braves manager Walt Weiss’ decision to use Drake Baldwin as a designated hitter opened the door to put Murphy behind the plate more frequently. The veteran catcher has responded by going 6-for-13 (.462) with two doubles and two home runs over his past four games. Not bad considering the injury-plagued veteran entered this homestand hitting .143 (6-for-42) with just one extra-base hit.
Murphy’s leadoff homer off Mason Adams sparked Atlanta’s two-run third inning. The solo shot had a 103.3 mph exit velocity, per Statcast. Six of the eight balls the 2023 NL All-Star catcher put in play during this homestand had an exit velocity of 100 mph or higher. None of the 26 balls he put in play before Tuesday were hit 100 mph or harder. Just three were hit 95 mph or harder.
Doing his thing
Mahle pitched around some first-inning trouble, and he allowed Jake McCarthy’s solo shot in the sixth. But the pitcher was otherwise in control as he recorded nine strikeouts and allowed just the one run over 6 2/3 innings. He has gone this exact distance in two of his past three appearances after lasting this long in just two of his first 20 starts of the season.
Mahle has posted a 1.48 ERA in the five starts he has made since being acquired from the Giants. He produced a 5.27 xERA through his first four starts with Atlanta. So there might be some regression over the next few weeks. But he has been a welcome addition to a Braves rotation that has posted a 2.87 ERA going back to Aug. 4, the day after the Trade Deadline.
Looking more like himself
Acuña got deked by Shohei Ohtani when the Dodgers’ star took second base on Wednesday night, then he was given a chance to rest on Thursday. The 2023 NL MVP responded by playing great defense throughout this three-game series. His bat also seemed far more lively.
Acuña tallied an RBI single in the third inning, and he went 6-for-9 (.667) with a double in this three-game sweep. Five of the balls he put in play on Friday and Saturday were hit 97.9 mph or harder.