Bryce Elder's Sink-Ball Vanished, But the Braves Are STILL MLB's Best and It's Getting Hard to Ignore

Okay, so we're all fired up about our M's, right? But seriously, gotta give props where they're due, even if it burns a little. The Atlanta Braves are straight-up *rolling* right now, owning MLB's best record, and today they're going for the series sweep against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bryce Elder, their dude on the bump, is out there trying to close it out, and let me tell you, his journey to this moment has been wild. The Braves already snagged their 18th series victory of the season with a 6-3 win on Saturday, showing everyone why they're the team to beat.

Elder's Rollercoaster Ride on the Mound

Elder, in his fifth season with Atlanta, has made 13 starts and he's totally re-established himself in their rotation. But get this, he just bounced back from what he himself called his worst outing, where Boston lit him up for six runs in 3 1/3 innings on May 27. Then, he turns around and shuts down the Blue Jays on Tuesday, going 6 2/3 innings and giving up just three runs! That's his ninth time going at least six innings, proving he's got the stamina. He even admitted, "My sinker wasn't moving and I've never had my sinker not move like that, especially since that's the pitch I probably throw more than any other pitch." He shouted out his catcher, Sandy Leon, for "doing a heck of a job getting me through that," saying it was all about "mixing stuff and navigating through the lineup." That's real talk from a guy figuring it out. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh's Bubba Chandler, who's got a 2-6 record with a 4.89 ERA, is facing Elder. Chandler just snapped a five-game losing streak by beating Houston, but he only went five innings, giving up four runs. Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly even said Chandler's ability to "stayed with it" and "continue to attack the strike zone" was the only reason they got the win, noting it "could have been completely different" otherwise. The guy's only pitched into the sixth twice, so you know their bullpen is sweating.

Injury Woes and Gritty Returns

It's not just pitching making headlines. Atlanta's Mauricio Dubon, after smashing homers in three straight games, kept the hits coming Saturday with two more, even though he didn't go yard. He's filling in at center field because Michael Harris II is sidelined with back tightness. Injuries, man, they hit hard. Over on the Pirates' side, third baseman Tyler Callihan finally got his first start since May 5, 2025, after a brutal forearm break from a collision at Truist Park last year. Kelly said he "embraced it" and they felt it was a "good day to get Brandon Lowe to DH." Callihan even ripped an RBI double, which is awesome to see. But then, in the ninth, Brandon Lowe fouled a ball off his right kneecap and had to be helped off the field. Kelly called it "a scary moment," hoping for the best because it "looked like right around the knee" and didn't hit his leg guard. You just hate to see that. So yeah, the Braves are trying to complete that sweep, proving why they're at the top of the league right now. It's early season, but these kinds of performances show who's got that championship grit. Speaking of grit, our Seattle Mariners just shut out the Detroit Tigers 4-0! That's the kind of pitching and execution we love to see from our boys. We keep grinding, focusing on our game, and showing the league what Emerald City baseball is all about. Let's keep that momentum going!

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