New York Mets move up NL East power rankings
Atlanta Braves. 5. team. 17. . 11-18. Previous:
The Braves ended April with a strong week, going 4-1. They were ranked fourth in the NL East power rankings last week. But, they had a tough first week of May.
Atlanta started things off against the Mets, who they had swept in two games the previous week. Then they faced off against the scuffling St. Louis Cardinals. In the six games they played, the Braves won once, and the rest of the week was not pretty.
The Braves pitching staff was teed off on throughout the week. They allowed at least five runs in every game, which is a poor recipe for success. They were outscored 26-5 in the series finale against the Mets and opener against the Cardinals. It was a rough homestand, to say the least for Atlanta.
If there is a bright side when losing that many games, it is the Braves offense. They weren’t able to overcome the poor pitching performances, but they did score at least three runs in every game. Freddie Freeman and Matt Kemp have proven to be a dangerous three-four combo in the lineup.
Kemp is riding a nine-game hitting streak, while Freeman had four extra-base hits and five RBI last week. The Braves offense will be able to provide some runs this season; will the pitching staff ever be able to consistently limit them?