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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 17: Austin Riley #27 of the Atlanta Braves fields and throws to first during the seventh inning against the San Francisco Giants during the continuation of a game from June 16, at Truist Park at Truist Park on June 17, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
The Atlanta Braves lost both games to the San Francisco Giants on June 17. They dropped the suspended game from the night before, 7-2, then turned around and lost 7-5 in the nightcap.
The Braves have hit a massive skid in June. They’ve now lost six of their last seven games. But there may be signs that third baseman Austin Riley is starting to turn things around.
Riley went 1-for-4 in Game 1 and followed that up by going 3-for-5 with an RBI in Game 2.
It was a much-needed day for Riley, who has struggled for most of the season and recently drew criticism from fans who believed he was pressing at the plate.
There were at least some encouraging signs for Riley during the doubleheader. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman pointed out that Riley’s previous four balls put in play were all struck at 96.3 mph or harder, including a 111 mph double earlier in the day. Bowman later added that a 110.3 mph single gave Riley four hits in his previous five at-bats.
Still, not everybody is buying into it just yet.
@ChoppinBravos remained skeptical of Riley’s performance.
“This game was the perfect representation of Austin Riley and why I’ve said all year it’s mental. The Braves were down 5-0 early and when the stakes were low he had good at bats and 3H. His first at bat that mattered he looked completely lost striking out on 3 pitches only one was in the same area code as the strike zone.”
This game was the perfect representation of Austin Riley and why I’ve said all year it’s mental.
The Braves were down 5-0 early and when the the stakes were low he had good at bats and 3H.
His first at bat that mattered he looked completely lost striking out on 3 pitches only
The Braves have moved Riley all around the lineup this season. On Wednesday night, he hit out of the five-hole.
Even with the strong finish to the day, Riley is still having one of the worst seasons of his career. He’s hitting .211 with eight home runs, 35 RBI and a .647 OPS. He also has 85 strikeouts compared to just 25 walks.
Riley is trying to help Atlanta climb out of a rough stretch, but he’s far from the only issue the team is dealing with right now.
“We’ve been going so well, it’s just a bump in the road. We’re going to be alright,” Riley said after the game. “We’ve had some tough travels… you know, combination of a few things. You just try to take it day by day. We’re going to be alright.”
The Braves are also without several key players.
Spencer Strider is back on the injured list after dealing with inflammation in his throwing elbow. Ronald Acuña Jr. is once again sidelined with a hamstring issue.
According to Bowman, interim manager Walt Weiss said Acuña is a “long way” from returning. Because the strain is in the same spot as his previous injury, Atlanta plans to be much more cautious this time around.
Weiss said Acuña is a “long way” from returning. Because the hamstring strain is in the same spot, the Braves will be more cautious than they were when Acuña missed nearly three weeks with the previous strain
The Braves were also without Michael Harris II after the first inning of Game 1 against the Giants because of lower back tightness.
Atlanta has plenty of baseball left to play, but if it’s going to get back to its winning ways, it needs Riley to look more like the hitter he was on Wednesday night and less like the player who has spent most of the season searching for answers at the plate.
Shane Shoemaker Shane Shoemaker is a sports journalist covering college football and the NFL for Heavy.com. His work has also appeared in The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, USA TODAY, and ClutchPoints, along with high school sports coverage for the Marion Tribune. More about Shane Shoemaker
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