Braves Rumors: A Travis d’Arnaud trade, unlikely history, Soroka deals
By Mark Powell
Braves make the wrong kind of MLB history
At some point, all the Atlanta Braves can do is tip their cap.
That’s what happened on Friday night. A.J. Smith-Shawver, a rookie, was set to go up against the hottest team in baseball. It did not go well.
Atlanta had won eight games in a row of their own, but it pales in comparison to the shocking turnaround of the Cincinnati Reds, who have now won 12 straight and are 14-2 since calling up Elly De La Cruz.
De La Cruz hit for the cycle on Friday in just his 15th major-league start. He’s already one of the more talented players in baseball, and anyone with eyes can tell you that. Atlanta put their best foot forward, and made some incredible MLB history in the process. The Braves made have had the best losing effort of all-time. Seriously.
Tonight the Braves:
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) June 24, 2023
- collected 15+ hits
- scored 10+ runs
- hit 5+ HR
- had a 3-HR inning
- stole multiple bases
- committed 0 errors
- struck out 10+ opposing batters
No other team in MLB history has done all of that in the same game.
They still ended up losing.
The real winners on Friday night were baseball fans everywhere, who got to watch a thrilling 21-run affair only locally. Ouch. While one would hope in the future MLB could find a way to air such a great contest between two thriving ball-clubs nationally, the game showcased much of the new, up-and-coming talent the league has been trying to advertise for all this years.
Odds are, Atlanta will find a way to strike back against Cincinnati, and eventually end their win streak. But that won’t come easy.