ATLANTA (AP) 鈥� After returning from an oblique injury that kept him sidelined for nearly a month, Braves catcher Drake Baldwin said he found himself desperate for a hit.
On Sunday, in the finale of the Braves’ three-game home series against the Texas Rangers, Baldwin had no problems making contact. The catcher was a career-best 5 for 5 at the plate and homered twice in Atlanta’s .
鈥淏aldwin, he鈥檚 back. He鈥檚 back to form. I think it鈥檚 official now,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said after the game. “He was on an MVP-type trajectory before he got hurt, and he鈥檚 looking like that again.鈥�
In the Braves’ first games back from the All-Star break, the club clinched its 21st series 鈥� tying its total from the 2025 season.
Baldwin spent his days off as the National League’s starting catcher in his first All-Star game. Third baseman Austin Riley’s break looked a little different, but it proved just as efficient in being the reset he needed to get back on track.
鈥淚 actually didn鈥檛 do anything over the break. Just more of a mental break. … Went home, hung out with my family, chased my boys around,” Riley said after his first two-homer outing since April 17. 鈥淎fter a couple of days off, coming back and just kind of a little recharged, it鈥檚 nice to see that we鈥檙e kind of firing on all cylinders with the offense there.鈥�
On Sunday, Riley homered twice and had four RBIs, including a clutch two-run single in the seventh inning to put the Braves up 6-3. Weiss said it’s hard not to root for a player, teammate and person like Riley.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a great sight to see Riley swinging the bat like that,” said. “He鈥檚 been taking better swings lately, and he鈥檚 hit the ball really hard. … He鈥檚 shown some really good signs, and that鈥檒l be huge for us.鈥�
After a difficult June, Weiss hopes a series victory against the AL West-leading Rangers is enough for his team to turn the page. The Braves have a three-game lead over second-place Philadelphia in the NL East.
鈥淥ur team had a rough June, but we’ve come out the other side still in first place, and we’re playing better now,” the first-year Braves manager said. 鈥淭hose things are deposits in the bank as far as your mental toughness and being battle-tested 鈥� as long as you come out the other side, and I think we have.鈥�
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