Mayday! There’s a major collapse happening in the NL East. For the past three seasons, all rivals shuddered when they thought about the Atlanta Braves. It was for a good reason too. After all, this is a team that has dominated the division. But 2024 is different – a little too different. The Braves are no longer the all-conquering team but, more importantly, they’re actively giving embarrassing memories to their fanbase.

For much of this season, the Braves have led the Wild Card race. But then, since the turn of July, time hasn’t been kind to them. Game after game, they’ve given up weird runs and have seen unbelievable strokes of bad luck. But what happened against the Colorado Rockies might have just won the crown of the most absurd situation that the 2021 World Series winners have found themselves in this season.

It was the 3rd inning, and the Braves were comfortably leading the game 5-3. Rockies’ Sam Hilliard was at the plate with two batters on base. With a 2-2 count and 2 outs, the Braves were in a good position, but then something truly bizarre happened. Hilliard popped a ball – “easy catch” thought everyone. But then, four Braves fielders simultaneously rushed toward the ball. So what happened next? What else? No one caught the ball! And Jorge Soler’s face planted into the ground.

But what’s worse? It gave two runs to the Rockies, and they were back in the game. Was another collapse coming in for the Braves? No, it wasn’t. “Guys kept fighting the fight,” said Brian Snitker. “It was a good ballgame to win.” And win they did. Matt Olson’s two homers gave the Braves a big 11-8 win. But that didn’t stop the fans from questioning the team’s current form.

Atlanta Braves get trolled for their unexpected mistakes 

The Atlanta Braves are battling it out for a wild card spot. That is an unexpected situation for the team to be in. Perhaps that’s why fans were quick to point it out to them. “The Braves are a mess right now,” said a fan. It is a statement that has been attached a lot to the Braves this season. Before this game, they were in a 6-game losing streak and momentarily fell behind the Mets in the playoff race. While they did win the game, this defensive mishap shows how little chemistry there currently is within the squad.

“When it rains it pours. Losing Acuna really changed the narrative of the Braves season,” said another fan. That may not be a fair claim. Yes, the loss of Ronald Acuna Jr. was immense, but he was out pretty early in the season. The Braves have already shown their ability to win without him (they won the World Series without him), so it is more than just Acuna’s absence that is hurting them.

“That is unbelievable,” wrote a fan. It truly is, there are no two ways about it. But then again, every team has faced a similar situation before. Sometimes the adrenaline rush that precedes making a play disables players from communicating clearly. That is exactly what happened with the Atlanta Braves as well. Thankfully for them, they managed to limit the damage and come out victorious.

“We really gotta find that voodoo doll and cleanse it,” claimed a user. Certainly, a lot of Braves fans are feeling this right now. What has happened to this team which won 100+ games last season? How have they collapsed so tremendously when most of the core of the team is intact? That is a big mystery that needs to be solved urgently.

“Usually Braves are an action movie, actually we are a comic movie,” explained a fan. While that statement reeks of disappointment, it also shows the lighthearted way the fanbase is dealing with this issue. Despite their team’s struggles, they know that making a few jokes can make this okay for them. But one can’t deny that the Braves’ playoff dreams are in real jeopardy and that is no joke.

So as it stands, the Atlanta Braves have managed to avoid another collapse. But the mistake that they made showed that good times are still a little far. Could they gather momentum after this win? Let us know in the comments.