The Atlanta Braves had an underwhelming start to the Postseason, dropping game one of the Wild Card Series 4-0 to the San Diego Padres. The Braves entered the game in a less-than-ideal pitching situation, as AJ Smith-Shawver got the start.

Offensively, though, the Braves had plenty of opportunities to plate a run and failed to do so. Despite outhitting the Padres 7-5, the club struck out 15 times and left seven men on base.

The Braves look to right the ship in an elimination game tonight at 8:38 ET as Max Fried takes the mound against Joe Musgrove.

More Braves News:

Chris Sale was left off the Braves’ Wild Card roster and stayed behind in Atlanta. He did, however, tell manager Brian Snitker that he was feeling better, but he has not thrown a side session yet.

Here is exactly how the Braves have performed against the Padres during the 2024 regular season.

The Braves have had plenty of injuries to deal with this year, but Chris Sale’s untimely injury may be the toughest one to date.

David O’Brien of the Athletic has takeaways from Game 1 of the Wild Card Series.

MLB News:

Follow along with us for a full schedule of the 2024 Postseason, along with results.

34 players have elected free agency, including Cristian Pache, Touki Toussaint, and more.

The Minnesota Twins have parted ways with hitting coach David Popkins. His contract ended at the conclusion of the 2024 season and will not be renewed.

The San Francisco Giants announced that general manager Pete Putila will not return in that role and will instead take on a new one.

Juan Soto, Walker Buehler, and more headline the list of the 2024-25 free agents.

The New York Mets selected the contract of right-hander Max Kranick and placed him on their Wild Card roster. In a corresponding move, the club designated infielder Eddy Alvarez for assignment.

Houston Astros stars Justin Verlander and Yordan Alvarez were each left off the team’s Wild Card roster.

ATLANTA – Atlanta police responded to a report of a shooting near the intersection of Forsyth and Brotherton streets in south downtown Atlanta around 11:15 p.m. Sept. 30. 

Upon arriving at the scene, officers found a male victim suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim, who was alert and conscious, was transported to the hospital for treatment, according to Atlanta police.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the man was shot while witnessing a gunfight between two groups. According to the victim, he had gone to retrieve his firearm from his vehicle to engage in the gunfight when he realized he had been struck by a bullet.

Atlanta police did not say if any arrests have been made in the case. It is still an active investigation. 

Age: 32 (11th season)

Height, Weight: 6’8, 245 lbs

2023-24 Averages: 5.6 points, 5 rebounds, 1.9 assists on 57.3%/41.5%/77% splits (61 games)

Career Averages: 7.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists on 54%/34.2%/69.6% splits (522 games)

Larry Nance is the epitome of a reliable veteran that finds a home on practically every roster he is a part of.

When the Hawks acquired him in the trade that sent Dejounte Murray to New Orleans, they likely saw Nance as insurance. In the event that they were able to find a trade partner for Clint Capela, Nance would take on a bigger role as the backup to Onyeka Okongwu. However, such a move has not happened yet.

Still, that does not mean that Nance is a waste of a roster spot. He’s a player with several helpful skills that affect winning even if they don’t always show up on the scoreboard. With the Pelicans, he showed off his ability to move in space on defense. He is not forced to solely survive in drop coverage as a big and can play up at the level of the screen. While he cannot match up with the stronger post players or quickest wings in the NBA, he’s a passable defender for most matchups. I envision this as being very helpful for Atlanta as there should be a pretty reasonable floor for the interior defense regardless of who the center is.

On offense, he is a smart passer and good rebounder. Although he is not quite as good as he was for the Cavs, Nance still recorded a total rebounding percentage of 14.1%. That is close to what Draymond Green recorded for the Warriors last season (14.4%). I am not saying that Nance is Green, but he is clearly a solid rebounder who can keep possessions alive on offense and end possessions for a defense. He can also execute simple passes as a connector. It would be difficult to say that he can be a secondary playmaker, but he is capable of making simple reads that keep the offense moving.

From a scoring perspective, Nance had a fairly solid year from a shooting-splits perspective, All of hi 2023-24 splits are above his career percentages. He hit on 41.5% of his shots from deep while having around 1.9 attempts per game. I do not think it would be fair to say he can provide a huge improvement in Atlanta’s rotation. He is someone the defense feels comfortable conceding a shot to. However, he has shown some ability to capitalize on those looks recently.

In 2024-25, I think his role will be fairly minimal unless Clint Capela is traded. That being said, he can give the Hawks good minutes when he plays. He also provides insurance for a decline in play from Capela. It is also possible that Atlanta moves him to a team that is desperately in need of center depth.

Best-Case Scenario: Nance Jr maintains his production from deep (over 40% from three-point range) while continuing to be a solid passer, defender and rebounder. He continues to be a useful rotation piece and is able to handle a bigger role when Capela or Okongwu are unable to suit up.

Worst-Case Scenario: Nance Jr’s 11 seasons in the NBA start to catch up to him and his secondary skills decline in effectiveness. His three-point shot declines and he is unable to hold up on defense in the way that he once could.