Watch: Austin Riley shows Oakland Athletics no mercy, smashes a home run for the Atlanta braves
The Atlanta Braves are on a hot streak. They've now won seven straight games and are sporting a 30-27 record. The reigning World Champions are just one game shy of the National League wildcard berth. It's been a pleasure to watch them string up wins and find the momentum that seemed lost during the start of the season.
Yesterday, they utterly demolished the lowly Oakland Athletics 13-2. It was a statement win and a much-needed boost for the title holders as they gained traction in their division.
The Braves crushed four homers and looked utterly dominant in the game. Austin Riley opened the fiesta with a blast to left field in the fifth inning.
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Riley blasted a 392-foot two-run homer to pad the Braves' lead, 5-2. It was the third baseman's 15th homer of the campaign. In the following inning, it was William Contreras who scored a solo shot.
In the seventh inning, both Ozzie Albies and Adam Duvall scored three-run and two-run homers, respectively. The scoreboard would read 13-2 by the end of the game, giving the Atlanta Braves a second consecutive sweep in the same number of series.
They previously swept their four-game series against the Colorado Rockies as well.
Have the Atlanta Braves found their mojo back?
Inch-by-inch, the Braves are closing in on the wildcard zone in the National League and have cemented their place as the second-best team in their division.
They are the winners of seven straight games. They are batting .301 and have a respectable 3.33 ERA in their last ten games. They've also outscored their opponents by 30 runs during that stint.
Their superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. is leading the charge with a slash line of .423/.448/.808 with three homers and five RBI on 11 base hits this month.
He spent a long time on the shelf with an injury, but it seems like he's taken the lead once more and is poised to propel his team back into playoff contention with a possible repeat World Series bid.
The Braves will have a relatively easy schedule for the next two weeks with the Pittsburgh Pirates up next followed by the Washington Nationals on deck, and a faceoff against the Chicago Cubs.
They will have a tough time, however, in closing out the month of June with series against the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the momentum-building Philadelphia Phillies.