The Atlanta Braves have seen their NL East division lead shrink to just three games.
It is no secret the Atlanta Braves have fallen off during the month of June. The Braves entered the month with a 39-20 record, holding the best record in baseball. Since then they have dropped to 49-33, losing 13 of their last 23 games.
As a result, their division lead in the National League East has shrunk from double digits all the way down to three games over the surging Philadelphia Phillies. There is still plenty of time in the season, but what once looked like a runaway is now a real race.
The Braves lost their second consecutive series over the weekend against the San Francisco Giants. When asked about their struggles and whether he was concerned about the Phillies closing the gap, manager Walt Weiss did not hesitate with his answer.
"I don't care what the lead is. I could care less. We had a big lead early. There were several months to go. I'm not worried about anybody else but ourselves right now," Weiss said (h/t Mark Bowman of MLB.com).
It does not really matter how well Philadelphia is playing if the Braves themselves keep dropping games. The lack of offense during June has been the biggest concern.
Atlanta has totaled just 74 runs this month, which is last in baseball. They have hit the fewest home runs with 19 and own the lowest batting average at .214, lowest on-base percentage at .267 and lowest OPS at .601 among all MLB teams this month.
The pitching staff has been solid, but the lack of offense has been the biggest reason for the downfall. It is surprising the Braves have even won 10 games this month given those numbers.
The reasons behind the offensive collapse are clear. Right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. has not played since June 9 after reaggravating his left hamstring strain.
Austin Riley has continued to struggle through what is shaping up to be the worst offensive season of his career. Drake Baldwin has come back down to earth after a hot start. Everything is going wrong at the plate all at once.
Still, Atlanta entered June with such a cushion that they remain in first place despite the struggles. The Braves need to start turning it around soon though, because a three-game lead can disappear quickly. Weiss is right that the only thing worth focusing on is fixing what is happening inside their own clubhouse.
