Game 2 of the Angels-Braves series started off promising for the Halos. L.A. jumped ahead early with a two-run single from Jo Adell in the first inning, giving fans a glimpse of life. Nolan Schanuel and Taylor Ward both crossed the plate as the Angels looked locked in against Darius Fuentes.
Yusei Kikuchi kept the Braves quiet through the first five frames, stranding runners and dodging some loud contact. The Angels lineup kept finding grass in the third inning with three straight singles, but couldn’t cash in.
Then the sixth inning hit, and it hit hard. The Braves exploded for seven runs, sparked by a three run blast from Matt Olson and another three run shot from Sean Murphy. Suddenly, it went from a 2–0 Angels lead to a 7–2 hole in the blink of an eye.
It’s now the bottom of the 7th, and the Angels haven’t mounted a response. The bats have gone cold since the third, and the bullpen couldn’t contain Atlanta’s big bats. There’s still time, but the momentum has fully shifted. Can’t see the Angels coming back.
Overall, the Angels came out swinging early again, but this time it didn’t last. After putting up two quick runs in the first, the bats fell silent and the bullpen unraveled. Atlanta dropped a six-spot in the sixth—powered by two three-run homers—and never looked back, coasting to an 8–3 win to even the series.
It wasn’t for lack of chances. The Halos had traffic on the bases through the middle innings but couldn’t come through in the clutch. Meanwhile, the Braves did what the Braves do: punish mistakes and make them hurt. 3-8 Braves.
