ATLANTA -- If
We’ll see what kind of long-standing powers burning sage might have for Atlanta. But the practice at least gave the Braves some laughs and peace as they distanced themselves from what they experienced on Sunday, when they were shut out in two games against the D-backs and became the first team in MLB history to total as few as one hit in a doubleheader.\n\n“All year I've come in like, ‘Hey y'all, if it gets to a point, I'm bringing some sage in here,'” Swanson said. “I think yesterday it was finally to that point. I pretty much walked every bit of area that you could find in this place. It was fun.”\n\nThe sage seemingly had a fast-acting effect. An offense that has slumbered over the past week needed just 12 pitches in the series opener to best its run and hit totals from Sunday’s seven-inning doubleheader.\n\n
“I don't know if \\[the sage\\] works,” Freeman said. “But it's just more of a mental thing, and a fun thing to try and forget about yesterday. The good thing about yesterday is \\[that\\] the only way we could go is up.”\n\nOther than
Freeman’s home run was the decisive blow delivered by the Braves, who saw