The Atlanta Braves simply cannot hit in the postseason. This confounding mystery has plagued the team since their World Series championship in 2021. The latest example came on Tuesday when the team was shutout 4-0 vs San Diego in Game 1 of the NL Wildcard series.
The biggest question becomes why this talented lineup cannot produce in the biggest moments. The easiest answer for this season would be injuries. The team is missing slugger Austin Riley and MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. Catcher Sean Murphy, center fielder Michael Harris and second baseman Ozzie Albies all missed significant time as well. But this issue goes deeper. The team is designed to hit the ball out of the ballpark. They have been shut down by superior starting pitching by the Phillies and now Padres.
The Braves cannot, or chose not to, play station-to-station baseball and try to manufacture runs. The all-or-nothing approach has failed them the last three postseasons.