'We're built to do damage': Riley homers twice, Murphy goes yard

TORONTO -- If the Braves are to find their rhythm, they’ll need their trusted conductors.

That’s what made Monday night’s 8-4 win over the Blue Jays so encouraging. Behind Austin Riley’s two-homer, five-RBI game, Atlanta found its spark, something to build on after a couple of weeks of scattered flashes.

It was another sign of a slugger returning to form, helping his offense retrieve its identity.

“It’s what I’m there to do, drive in runs and do damage,” Riley said. “Tonight was one of those nights where it felt like I was [doing] what I’m supposed to do. It felt good.”

He’s been feeling good for a while now.

After opening the season with a .111 average and a .431 OPS in his first seven games, Riley found his footing and hasn’t looked back. Since the Braves’ 10-0 win over the Marlins in the home opener, the 28-year-old Riley has hit .410 with a 1.157 OPS, including seven multihit games over nine contests.

The turnaround came after Atlanta’s three losses to the Dodgers in Los Angeles, when Riley went as far as qualifying his early performance as “embarrassing” and vowed to make adjustments at the plate.

Now he’s back to doing what he was meant to. No one in that clubhouse doubted he would.

“All these guys are probably their own worst enemy and harshest critic,” manager Brian Snitker said. “They expect a lot out of themselves because they’re really good players. So it’s good that when their head hits the pillow, they do that with a good feeling tonight and confidence in what’s going to happen tomorrow.”

The reasons for confidence go beyond Riley, who was the main catalyst of a solid night from the whole lineup.

Sean Murphy was the one to get it started, adding to his scorching return from the injured list with a two-run homer in the first inning. Ozzie Albies then hit an RBI double that scored Nick Allen to start a four-run fifth inning that was capped by Riley’s three-run blast.

Both of Riley’s homers came on a first pitch from Blue Jays lefty Easton Lucas, who hadn’t allowed any runs over his first two starts of the season. The approach was pretty simple: Put the ball in the air. First, it was a fastball up in the zone in the third. Then a hanging slider in the fifth. Riley swung with conviction, both times hitting the ball upwards of 110 mph off the bat for a pair of no-doubters.

Most importantly, this time the Braves weren’t left puzzled by their inability to capitalize with runners on base, seemingly set on turning every mistake from Blue Jays pitchers into a productive at-bat. Atlanta needed six hits and four walks to put eight runs on the board, finishing the win 3-for-4 with runners in scoring position behind Riley’s heroics.

For a few days now, Snitker has been stating that this group was due for a turnaround. Monday’s results felt way more normal than the early-season woes.

“I definitely think this is us -- what you saw tonight, doing damage, moving guys,” Riley said. “I thought Eli [White] had really good at-bats, Nick Allen had some good at-bats. Yeah, I think we’re built to do damage, and this is something that is definitely us.”

If those convictions hold true, the Braves may be on the verge of true momentum. Following Grant Holmes’ three-run start over 7 2/3 innings in the series opener, the visitors are set to send Spencer Schwellenbach and Spencer Strider -- who is expected to be activated off the IL for his first start this season -- to the mound in the next two games.

Add in some run support to that caliber of starting pitching, and the tide may turn for good.

“Anytime you do what we did tonight, hopefully it breeds a little confidence and guys start feeling themselves,” Snitker said. “Because it’s going to happen, we’re going to get on a roll.”