Takeaways: The Braves prolific offense falls flat in the series finale with the Padres

What can we take away from the Braves 1-0 series finale loss to the Padres?

Andrew Stefaniak | Apr 19, 2023

The Braves lost the series finale with the Padres 1-0 thanks to the bats staying quiet.

This was the first time this Braves offense, full of electric firepower, was shut out this season.

The pitching was outstanding from the Braves in this ball game, but there was literally zero run support.

As they say, it's hard to win if you don't score.

What can we take away from this tight loss to last year's NL Champions?

When Charlie Morton made a mistake it was up

Tip your cap to Charlie Morton, who had a heck of an outing, but in a pitcher's duel, the little things will come back to haunt you. Morton allowed five hits in his six innings of work, with the killer being the solo shot off the bat of Juan Soto. This pitch was at the top of the zone and right down the heart of the plate. Big league hitters aren't going to miss this pitch often. Morton's fastball does have some natural tail, but it didn't tail enough to avoid Soto's bat head. Morton's other bad pitch was to Jake Cronenworth, who ripped a double, giving the Padres second and third with one out. Morton was able to work out of this jam unscathed, but the pitch hit for a double was the same as the one Soto hit 431 feet. It's a bit nit-picky, but these little mistakes can kill you in a tight game. All and all, it was an outstanding performance by Morton to give his team a shot.

The bottom of the lineup did a good job getting on base

When you are at the bottom of the lineup, your job is to get on base so the mashers can get you home. Sam Hilliard and Kevin Pillar did that today, combining to go 3-6. Everyone knows how good the top of the Braves lineup is, but if these guys can start coming to the dish with runners on the pond, the Braves will put up historic offensive numbers this season.

The top of the lineup didn't get it done with runners in scoring position

When you see that the Braves eight and nine-hole hitters were on base multiple times, that makes you wonder how the Braves were shut out. Well, that has to do with Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, and Austin Riley combining to go 1-10 in this ball game. The one hit came in the first inning from Acuña Jr., so there was no one on base. In baseball, you go the way of your stars, and in this game, they didn't drive in any runs leading to the winning streak being snapped.

Matt Olson and Austin Riley are striking out to much

Olson and Riley both struck out two times in this ball game. That brings Olson's season total to 31 and Riley's to 25. Strikeouts are what led to what we saw in this ball game against the Padres, which is leaving runners on base. If you don't put the ball in play, the runners can't advance, and absolutely zero pressure is put on the defense. Hopefully, the strikeout numbers will decrease as these two Braves stars settle more into the season, and begin to see the baseball better.

More stories from the Padres series

WATCH: Ozzie Albies blows game open with a late three-run tater in San Diego

WATCH: Spencer Strider dominates the Padres for six innings in San Diego

WATCH: Sean Murphy smokes a solo homer to extend early Braves lead

WATCH: Kevin Pillar gets the Braves on the board with a ground-rule double

Takeaways: The Atlanta Braves win the series opener over the San Diego Padres

WATCH: Austin Riley LAUNCHES the first home run of the game

The Atlanta Braves Bullpen Has Stepped Up in a Big Way

Atlanta Braves officially re-activate Max Fried from injured list

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