Braves Must Win in August Following Missed Chance.

The term “must win” is frequently used in the context of sports. That isn’t true unless you have to play a game of total elimination.

On Thursday, however, the Atlanta Braves face maybe the biggest August must-win.

Brian Snitker’s team had a chance to put significant pressure on their NL East foe by sweeping the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday. Rather, after blowing a 2-0 lead on Wednesday, the Braves need to win to win the series.
In the sixth inning, Phillies starter Max Fried gave up two runs to the opposition. To tie the game, the Phillies scored runs on a sacrifice fly and ground out. The Braves lost 3-2 when reliever Joe Jiminez gave up another run on a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning.

The pitching staff was not helped by the Braves offense. Arcia’s two-run home run for Orlando was the lone offensive production in the defeat. When there were runners in scoring position, the Braves were 0 for 6.
But Atlanta will be able to forget about Wednesday if they win on Thursday. In the division battle, it will also put the Braves back six games ahead.

The Braves would have advanced to four games with a sweep, but Wednesday’s lost opportunity could still be expensive. The Braves can still go 5-2 in their previous seven games against the Phillies, though, as they play four more games against Philadelphia the following week. I calculated that this was what they would really need to do to stand a reasonable chance of winning the NL East in September.
If the Braves win two of the first three games of those seven games, they have a far better chance of finishing 5-2.

Spencer Schwellenbach, a right-hander, will be the Braves’ starter on Thursday in the crucial August game. The youngster hasn’t let up more than three runs in each of his last four starts, despite his 4.04 ERA and 4-6 record.

That’s probably the kind of performance the squad will need once more. The Phillies and I have played two low-scoring games so far. The pitching showdown on Thursday may result in further runs, although neither team’s offense has produced many hits thus far.The Phillies’ left-hander Cristopher Sanchez will take the mound. He has a 3.46 ERA and a 9-8 record.

If the Braves fall short on Thursday, the NL East competition will not be concluded. It will be far more difficult to get back to the top, though.