Riley 'never satisfied' even after 2 HRs

ATLANTA -- While complimenting the significant progress Austin Riley had made with his plate discipline and approach, Hall of Famer and Braves hitting consultant Chipper Jones said, “You’ve got to crawl before you walk,” when asked about when the young third baseman might start showing more power again.

Five days later, Riley is sprinting through another impressive May stretch and the Braves are powering their way back toward the top of the National League East standings. A 7-1 win over the Pirates on Sunday afternoon concluded a power-packed, confidence-building series at Truist Park.

“I always kept thinking last year, ‘You want to hang with [Riley],’ because I remember in ‘19 when he came up and helped us win the division,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “You just know what the upside is with this guy.”

Riley continued to show his great potential as he tallied his second multihomer game of the series and of his career to back a strong seven-inning effort by Max Fried. The lefty allowed just one run and received more than enough support from a Braves lineup that belted 15 homers in the four-game series. The Pirates have totaled just 30 homers all season.

The 15 homers stand as the most the Braves have hit in any series in franchise history. The previous high was the 14 the Milwaukee Braves hit against the Cubs during a three-game series that began with a doubleheader on May 30, 1956, at Wrigley Field.

“This lineup’s really good,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “This lineup’s really hot. And this ballpark is conducive to, if you hit the ball in the air, it’s going to get out of here. They are taking full advantage of that. We caught them at a time where they’re swinging the bats well. I think coming into the series they were leading the league in homers, so it’s one of those things that’s how their offense is built.”

With their powerful onslaught, the Braves increased their MLB-leading total to 78 home runs. No other club had more than 66 homers when Atlanta’s game concluded on Sunday. This 47-game total is just shy of the franchise record (82) which was set last year.

By taking the final three games of this series, the Braves find themselves one game below .500 (23-24) and within 1 1/2 games of the first-place Mets. Their rise back toward the top of the division standings has been spurred by a rotation that has produced a 2.35 ERA over the past 19 games.

“For us to come in and play some good baseball and some good complete baseball on all facets, I think you’re starting to see more of the team that we know we are,” Fried said.

Aiding the starting pitching success has been the turnaround of Fried, who has allowed just one earned run in each of the four starts he has made since going on the injured list in April with an 11.45 ERA.

But while Fried’s ability to rebound might have been anticipated, Riley’s success has been a much-welcomed surprise. The third baseman has hit six of his nine homers over his past 26 at-bats. Exactly one week ago, just seven of his 37 hits were of the extra-base variety.

Along those same lines, Dansby Swanson entered Wednesday hitting .201 with a .615 OPS. By going 10-for-19 with four doubles and three home runs -- including one on Sunday -- over his past five games, the shortstop exited this series hitting .237 with a .740 OPS.

“I look peripherally and know what we're capable of, which is really, really good,” Snitker said. “We’ve just got to keep fighting the fight. Everything will click eventually.”

Truth be told, Riley has been in a groove for a little more than a month. He has hit .369 with a 1.152 OPS over his past 34 games. But the power component wasn’t consistently seen until the past seven games, during which he has 10 extra-base hits, including six homers.

According to the Braves’ media relations staff, Riley is the franchise’s first player to tally 10 extra-base hits and six homers within any seven-game span of the modern era (since 1920).

“I've been very hot in this game, and I’ve been very cold in this game,” Riley said. “So, I know it can humble you very quickly. So, you’re never satisfied.”

When Riley debuted in 2019, he homered 14 times through his first 161 career at-bats and then struggled to the point where he lost his starting role during the second half of his rookie season. His current power surge is unfolding a little more than two years after he reached the big league level.

No longer as susceptible to chasing bad pitches or attempting to pull most everything, he is a much more patient hitter who takes great pride in the fact that three of the homers he hit during this homestand went the other way.

“When I'm good, I'm going to the big part of the field,” Riley said. “I think that's where I'm at right now. It allows me to hit the fastball and stay on offspeed. I think that's where I'm at right now, and I think that's my best self.”