Atlanta's 10.5-Game Lead SHATTERED and Nobody Saw Austin Riley Hit THIS Low

Yo, can we talk about what's going down in the NL right now? Because what Atlanta's doing, or NOT doing, is truly wild. Remember May 22? The Braves had a cushy 10.5-game lead in the NL East. Ten and a HALF games! Now? Gone. Poof! It's shrunk to a measly three games over those Phillies. And it's not only them, the Cardinals are straight up spiraling too. Both these squads are struggling hard, clocking in at 3-7 over their last 10 games. They're both probably counting down the seconds until June is officially over.

The Braves' Bats Went From Hot to Not

What in the world is happening with those Braves bats? They've been stuck in an offensive funk that's absolutely brutal. This team is on a 4-12 skid, shut out twice, and scored three runs or fewer in TEN of those games. TEN! Walt Weiss, their manager, is trying to stay chill, saying they "just got to fight through it," but man, that's easier said than done when your guys can't hit a beach ball. Austin Riley, their big slugger? He went 4-for-21 on their last road trip and his average tanked to a pathetic .209. He hasn't even sniffed a homer since MAY 20. But get this, Ha-Seong Kim is on an 0-for-24 skid, hitting a mind-boggling .068. Drake Baldwin, who started with a bomb off the injured list, is now 2-for-43 since his return, dropping his average from .303 to .255. Ouch.

Cardinals Aren't Much Better, Plus a Pitching Showdown

And don't think the Cardinals are looking much better, folks. Their offense is equally puny. They scored a grand total of THREE runs in their entire three-game weekend series against Miami. Oliver Mar

Trade on Every Game with Kalshi

Click Here to sign up to Kalshi — Free $10 when you sign up using our link or use code: ONTAPSEA. The only federally regulated prediction market in the US. Trade on real sports outcomes. Available in all 50 states.

mol, their skipper, nailed it saying they "haven't been able to do that recently" when it comes to getting those key hits. Some guys are trying to break out, though. Rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt is actually crushing it with back-to-back multi-hit games, giving him 23 on the season. But even with that, Ivan Herrera and Alec Burleson just had their long on-base streaks snapped in Sunday's 2-1 win, which barely broke a four-game losing streak. These two struggling clubs kick off a three-game series tomorrow with a pair of lefties on the mound. St. Louis sends out Matthew Liberatore, who's got a rough 3-5 record and a 5.56 ERA. He's been shelled in June, going 0-2 with a monstrous 10.34 ERA in his last four starts. On the other side, the Braves are leaning on veteran Martin Perez, who's been a dependable arm for them, stepping up big time since Spencer Strider went down for the foreseeable future. Perez is 6-4 with a solid 3.00 ERA and is 4-2 since rejoining the rotation in mid-May. His four-game winning streak ended Wednesday when he gave up three runs in his shortest start of the season. This is the first time these two teams are squaring off this season, and it's got some serious vibes, even if they're both struggling. The Braves won the series 4-2 last year, but that feels like a lifetime ago. With Atlanta's lead shrinking faster than a Mariners playoff drought used to feel and the Cards clinging to a wild card hope just a half-game ahead of the Padres and Marlins, this series is gonna be a battle of who can actually remember how to hit. You gotta tune in, it's gonna be a must-watch for baseball fans everywhere. Let's see if either team can turn this ship around!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.