ATLANTA -- Having to answer questions about Ronald Acu?a Jr.¡¯s social media post reminded Braves manager Brian Snitker there is no such thing as a perfect weekend in the baseball world.
But even with the distraction, Snitker and his players were feeling good after completing a three-game sweep with a 6-2 win over the Twins on Sunday afternoon at Truist Park. The three wins claimed during this weekend were just two fewer than Atlanta had totaled in the 18 games played before this series.
¡°They start believing in themselves again and they relax,¡± Snitker said. ¡°A relaxed player plays at his best. I think this can do nothing but help us going forward.¡±
The atmosphere certainly felt more relaxed after Matt Olson, Drake Baldwin and Marcell Ozuna all homered in the series finale. Grant Holmes did his part to secure the sweep by striking out seven and limiting the Twins to one run over 5 2/3 innings.
It wasn¡¯t necessarily a perfect weekend. The Braves needed a five-run eighth inning to claim a 6-4 comeback win on Friday night, and Jarred Kelenic stirred the fan base when he pimped a long fly ball off the wall and got thrown out at second base in Saturday¡¯s 4-3 victory. Kelenic¡¯s baserunning gaffe led Acu?a to post, ¡°If it were me, they would take me out of the game,¡± on X about 90 minutes before Sunday¡¯s first pitch.
As this post created a commotion over the next few hours, the Braves rolled to their 11th consecutive win over the Twins, a streak that dates back to the 2019 season. Atlanta is 6-2 at home this year.
¡°We just want to ride that momentum,¡± Olson said.
Olson entered the series hitting just .203, but he went 4-for-9 with a double and a homer in these three games. His performance distanced himself from the frustration some tough luck had caused him the past few weeks. The .344 slugging percentage he carried into the series was an MLB-leading -0.249 points lower than his expected SLG (.593).
Like it was only a matter of time for the Braves, there was reason to think Olson was about to get hot. It wasn¡¯t necessarily a coincidence that these breakouts happened simultaneously.
¡°I think it¡¯s more about seeing the results and being able to trust our preparation,¡± Olson said. ¡°Everybody shows up and continues to feel like they¡¯re on the right path every day. When you play 162 [games], you want to get better every day.¡±
The Braves got better with this weekend¡¯s addition of Alex Verdugo, who keyed Saturday¡¯s victory with a four-hit game that included a game-winning single. The Braves hope Verdugo can be a valuable leadoff hitter until Acu?a returns in May. His presence has already helped Michael Harris II, who looks comfortable away from the leadoff role he filled most of the past couple weeks. The center fielder went 4-for-12 with a double and homer to raise his average to .203, after entering the series with a .179 batting average.
¡°Michael is one of the most talented people on the field every time he steps out there,¡± Olson said. ¡°He¡¯s been doing the same thing as all of us who feel like they haven't been performing the way they can. You just continue to work, stay on that path and the results come.¡±