The Atlanta Braves send Spencer Schwellenbach to the mound for their home opener on Friday against the Miami Marlins in hopes of ending their season-opening seven-game losing streak.
Atlanta is the only winless team in the major leagues. The Braves were swept in a four-game series by the San Diego Padres and a three-game set by the Los Angeles Dodgers and are off to their worst start since the 1988 club went 0-10 en route to a 54-106 record.
Schwellenbach (0-0, 0.00) will be opposed by Miami’s Max Meyer (0-0, 1.59) in a battle of young right-handers. Schwellenbach pitched six scoreless innings of one-hit ball in his season debut against the Padres. Meyer allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts against Pittsburgh in his first start.
Miami dropped two of three in its series with the New York Mets, but its 4-3 start overall has sparked optimism in the wake of last year’s disastrous 62-win season that left the Marlins with the second-worst record in the National League.
“I think we showed how good of a ballclub we are and what we can be,” said Marlins shortstop Xavier Edwards. “A lot of grit, a lot of fight with this team, a lot of opportunities in the games we lost this homestand. Just have a chance to win a lot of games like that.”
Atlanta has had trouble scoring. The Braves have produced only 14 runs — five of them in Wednesday’s deflating 6-5 walk-off loss to the Dodgers. The club is 6-for-49 (.122) with runners in scoring position.
“I can’t explain it,” said Atlanta manager Brian Snitker. “I’m sure they’re pressing. That’s human nature to press when everybody wants to be the guy. … Every year I’ve been in this thing — it’s happened to us every year I’ve been here — when you get in runs like that, everybody wants to be the guy and they all try too hard. The best thing that can happen is to knock a run in and relax it and eventually it will.”
The established players in the Atlanta lineup have struggled to get above the Mendoza line — Ozzie Albies (.185), Marcell Ozuna (.188), Austin Riley (.111), Matt Olson (.182), Michael Harris II (.160) and Jarred Kelenic (.150). The Braves, who hit 213 homers last season, have hit only four and no one has more than one.
Miami has leaned heavily on its bullpen. The starters have thrown 33 2/3 innings compared to 34 1/3 for the relievers. The Marlins are trying to ease the early workload for Sandy Alcantara, who is returning from surgery, and youngster Connor Gillispie.
“There’s something about the third time through (the order) and we feel very good about our group of bullpen arms,” said Miami manager Clayton McCullough.
The Braves have not lost a season series to Miami since 2014. The Braves were 9-4 against Miami each of the last two years after going 13-6 against the Marlins in 2022.
Help could be on the way for the Braves. Right-hander Spencer Strider, a Cy Young contender last year before undergoing a second Tommy John surgery, and catcher Sean Murphy (cracked left rib) are scheduled to make rehab starts on Friday for Triple-A Gwinnett and could be close to rejoining the team.
–Field Level Media
