ATLANTA (AP) — With Michael Harris II rediscovering his power, Ronald Acuña Jr. batting .375 after missing nearly an entire season, and Marcel Ozuna managing a hip issue, the Atlanta Braves are hoping their offensive resurgence hasn’t come too late.
Harris has hit home runs in consecutive games for the Braves, who have secured three victories in their last four games during this critical phase of the season.
In a 12-4 win against Colorado on Friday night, Harris hit a three-run homer to tie the game, and Ozuna followed with another three-run shot to give the Braves the lead. This was Ozuna’s 11th home run, despite his hip discomfort.
The Braves came back from a 4-1 deficit to defeat the struggling Rockies, marking their first series win since May 16-18, having taken two of three games against Milwaukee.
Currently at 30-38, the Braves still have plenty of ground to cover in the NL East. Scoring six or more runs in their last three victories has boosted manager Brian Snitker’s optimism.
The Braves, who won the 2021 World Series, will need a significant turnaround to maintain their streak of seven straight postseason appearances.
“These games are all crucial,” Snitker stated after Friday night’s victory, acknowledging the difficulty of turning the season around after falling ten games under .500, currently sitting at 28-38. The Braves find themselves trailing the first-place New York Mets by 14 games and are tied for third in the East with Washington.
“As we’ve shown in the past, we’ve come back from tough spots before, but this is a different situation,” Snitker noted.
Acuña doubled on the first pitch thrown by Germán Márquez and scored on Olson’s sacrifice fly. He also contributed singles in both the third and fifth innings, marking his third straight game with three hits.
When asked about Acuña’s impact on the lineup, Harris responded, “He brings energy. He’s an MVP. The talent is undeniable, and he energizes the leadoff spot.”
Acuña successfully stole second in the fifth inning, his first attempt since returning on May 23 after nearly a full season recovering from left knee surgery.
“I was curious if he had restrictions,” Harris remarked about Acuña’s delay in attempting a steal. “Clearly, he still has the speed.”
This marked Acuña’s first stolen base since May 25, 2024, at Pittsburgh, a gap of 385 days. It signaled a positive step in his recovery, as he was the NL MVP in 2023, hitting 41 homers and stealing 73 bases.
“Since his return, he’s hit the ground running for sure,” Snitker expressed. “His at-bats don’t show that he missed such a significant amount of time.”
Harris, batting just .238, has driven in 41 runs, with three of his six home runs coming in the last six games.
“While I want to improve my batting average, I feel I’ve managed to get some important RBIs this season,” Harris said.
The Braves have struggled below .500 for most of the year, and their recent six-series losing streak has sparked rumors they might consider selling instead of acquiring players at the trade deadline.
“I don’t think that’s something we focus on,” Harris said. “… It’s just about concentrating on who we have here right now.”
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