Atlanta had the good vibes going. They took the first two from Milwaukee, including a walkoff homer by Ozzie Albies on Saturday. Then Sunday happened. And it happened fast.
Bryce Elder took the mound and gave up eight runs in the second inning. Eight. The Brewers turned that frame into a nightmare and the Braves never recovered, losing 9-4 at home.
Elder entered the year as one of several Braves pitchers asked to carry a heavier load because of injuries. Spencer Strider is out. Spencer Schwellenbach, who was supposed to help absorb some of that innings gap, also missed time. For a while Elder held up fine. He was sitting on a 1.97 ERA in late April. Then it all started slipping.
One fan on X pointed out the math: since that start in Boston on April 27, Elder has thrown 22 innings and allowed 24 runs on 34 hits including five homers and seven walks. That’s a 9.82 ERA over that span.
Another fan was more direct: Elder’s Cinderella run was fun but it’s over. He’s been bad for a month now.
A rough stretch that keeps getting worse
It’s not just a one-start thing either. Over his last 21 innings, Elder has given up 19 earned runs. That’s not a slump. That’s a trend going in the wrong direction. The Braves have to be worried about what they’re getting from him at this point.
Atlanta’s staff held the line for the first couple months. That’s a big reason they shot to the best record in baseball. But cracks are showing now. The bullpen has been asked to cover more innings than planned. The rotation is thin behind the top guys. And Elder, who was supposed to be a reliable mid-rotation arm, is suddenly looking like a guy who might need a reset.
What comes next
The Braves don’t have an obvious internal fix unless someone like Schwellenbach gets ramped up quickly or they make a trade. And with the deadline still a ways off, they might have to ride this out longer than they’d like. Elder’s next start is already getting some side-eye from the fanbase. Because after Sunday, nobody in Atlanta is feeling great about the fifth spot in that rotation.
The win streak stopped. The Brewers took one back. And Elder’s season has officially hit a crisis point.
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