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Atlanta Braves: Recap of the first half of the 2018 season

By Brian Cox

ATLANTA, GA JULY 11: Braves infielder Ozzie Albies (right) talks with Ronald Acuna, Jr. (left) after Albies hit his second home run of the game during the game between Atlanta and Toronto on July 11th, 2018 at SunTrust Park in Atlanta, GA. The Atlanta Braves defeated the Toronto Blue Jays by a score of 9 - 5. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA JULY 11: Braves infielder Ozzie Albies (right) talks with Ronald Acuna, Jr. (left) after Albies hit his second home run of the game during the game between Atlanta and Toronto on July 11th, 2018 at SunTrust Park in Atlanta, GA. The Atlanta Braves defeated the Toronto Blue Jays by a score of 9 - 5. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

The Dog Days of Summer

The struggle for any young team playing well is being able to circumvent the doldrums of the long summer months.  The Atlanta Braves were no exception.  The difference between a winning and losing team can typically be found in how a ballclub is able to weather the storm during these times.

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With Charlie Culberson taking over the majority of the left field at bats during Acuña’s absence, the Braves limped into the All-Star break with a record of 22-21 following the injury in Boston.

The results could have been much worse, but Atlanta was able to ride strong starting pitching (for the most part) and clutch play from the likes of Nick Markakis, Charlie Culberson, and Johan Camargo and managed to tread water in the division.

With the Washington Nationals struggling mightily, the Braves were able to increase their lead over their primary division rival, but the resurgence of the Phillies over the last month led to the Braves losing their hold on first place.  Heading into the All-Star break, the Braves were a mere 0.5 games behind the leading Phillies.

Fresh Start in the Second Half

Coming out of the All-Star break, and with their lineup mostly intact, the Braves look to regain the momentum that they carried into Memorial Day.  With a new look lineup consisting of Acuña in the leadoff spot with All-Stars Albies, Freeman, and Markakis following, the Braves got off to a blistering start against the Nationals on Friday night with an 8-5 win.  Acuña’s 3-hit, 1 HR, 2 SB performance provided Braves fans a glimpse of what they can hope to expect heading into the last 2 months of the season.

Assuming the outlook on Albies’ injury remains optimistic, and if Alex Anthopoulos can manage to add depth to the rotation or bullpen before the trade deadline, the Braves should remain in the pennant race for the duration of the season. I don’t look for Anthopoulos to make any blockbuster deals over the next week, but several holes need to be filled if the Braves are serious about making a run this year.

Next: Acuna and Soto make history

We’ll take a look at potential moves the Atlanta Braves can make later in the week. For now, however, we’ll look (and hope) for the Braves to build on their performance Friday night as they go full-steam ahead into the second half.

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