Braves Fall Flat in Tampa After Emotional High
- Charles Mays
- Apr 11
- 4 min read
A Day After the Walk-Off, Braves' Offense Comes Up Short
The Atlanta Braves came into Tampa riding high after a thrilling walk-off win the night before. But Friday’s series opener against the Rays was a different story, as the bats fell quiet and momentum quickly shifted the other way. Despite an early lead, Atlanta couldn’t find the consistency needed, falling 6-3 to open the weekend series.
Hot Start, Missed Opportunity
The Braves got things rolling in the top of the first. Austin Riley singled to right with one out, and Marcell Ozuna followed with a walk. Matt Olson then jumped on a pitch from Taj Bradley, driving in Riley with an RBI single for an early 1-0 lead.
With runners on the corners and just one out, Ozzie Albies drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases. But Bradley quickly settled down, striking out the next two batters to end the threat. Atlanta’s inability to capitalize on the bases-loaded opportunity would prove costly.
Elder Settles In, Rays Answer Back
Bryce Elder allowed a leadoff single to Yandy Diaz in the bottom of the first but worked out of it cleanly. He escaped another minor jam in the second, stranding Kameron Misner after a two-out double.
In the third, the Rays tied things up. Taylor Walls and Diaz reached to put runners on the corners with one out. Brandon Lowe brought home Walls with a sacrifice fly to right, knotting the game at 1-1.
Mistakes Add Up in the Fourth
Jarred Kelenic singled down the left field line in the fourth, but another Braves turn at bat stalled as Bradley recorded his 300th career strikeout, retiring Drake Baldwin. Once again, the Braves left a runner stranded with no damage done.
Elder ran into real trouble in the bottom half. After Christopher Morel reached on a single and advanced on an errant throw by Baldwin, Danny Jansen made the Braves pay with a two-run homer to left, his first of the year, to give Tampa a 3-1 lead.
Quiet Bats and a Costly Inning
Michael Harris II led off the fifth with a single, but he was doubled up at first after a line-out from Ozuna. Elder continued to keep things manageable, pitching a clean bottom of the inning. Through five, he had been ok aside from the homer, but his offense hadn’t backed him up.
Bradley stayed in rhythm, retiring the Braves in order in the sixth, and Elder returned to the mound in the bottom half. After two quick outs, Morel got the best of him again, launching a solo home run to extend the Rays’ lead to 4-1. Misner then singled, stole second, and scored on Jansen’s RBI single, making it 5-1.
Brief Spark, but Not Enough
Zach Thompson took over for Elder in the bottom half of the seventh after being called up earlier in the day. He worked around a walk to put up a scoreless frame, keeping Atlanta within striking distance.
Finally, in the eighth, the Braves broke through again. Ozuna crushed a 425-foot home run to straightaway center. Albies followed with a solo shot of his own to cut the deficit to 5-3. That brief spark was all the Braves could muster.
Rays Close the Door
Thompson returned in the eighth and picked up a strikeout before handing it off to Pierce Johnson. The Rays weren’t done, as Jansen added an RBI ground rule double to score Morel once more and stretch the lead to 6-3.
In the ninth, Baldwin connected for a one-out double to right off Pete Fairbanks, but the comeback ended there. The Braves dropped to 3-10 on the year with the loss.
Final Lines
Bryce Elder (0-1) was tagged with the loss despite a lengthy start, allowing five runs on nine hits over six innings with four strikeouts. Taj Bradley (2-0) picked up the win for Tampa, allowing just one run over six strong innings while hitting the 300-strikeout milestone in his young career.
Takeaways from the Loss
Early Missed Chances: Atlanta loaded the bases in the first with one out and came away with just a single run. That set the tone for a night full of missed opportunities.
Elder Wasn't Bad—Until He Was: Bryce Elder pitched ok through the first five innings, but two home runs given up and a few good Tampa hits was all it took to unravel everything.
Jansen Haunted the Braves: Danny Jansen was the biggest problem for Atlanta, driving in four runs and going deep once. He capitalized on nearly every opportunity the Braves gave him.
Offensive Inconsistency: The Braves have shown flashes of power, but the inability to string together hits continues to be their downfall. Two solo shots in the eighth weren’t enough to cover the gaps elsewhere.
Time to Regroup: Atlanta has now dropped to 3-10 on the season. They'll need to turn the page quickly and look for a bounce-back performance Saturday afternoon at 4:10 PM EDT.
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