The Braves have every right to feel ecstatic. With four consecutive series wins, including two over division leaders Washington and Milwaukee, Brian Snitker’s club is clawing its way back to .500 without a single on-field contribution from one of the world’s best hitters. Atlanta should have crumbled without Freddie Freeman. Instead, over the past two weeks it ranks 13th in runs scored with a middle-of-the-pack rotation and bullpen. Here are three observations from the recent surge:
In 2006, the year the New York Mets snapped the Braves’ division title streak, Bobby Cox’s lineup featured power galore.