CHICAGO — At times this season, you have probably found yourself wondering, “How?” How can this offense — the historic group from a season ago — disappear? How can it go quiet for stretches? How is it not dominating? How is it unable to come up with a clutch hit like it has for the last handful of seasons?

For fans, it is infuriating.

For everyone, it is confusing.

The Braves on Thursday lost to the White Sox, 1-0, at Guaranteed Rate Field. Chicago is the worst team in baseball, and entered this contest — a makeup game for the April postponement — with six fewer runs than the Rockies, who have baseball’s second-worst record.

The White Sox are now 22-61.

The Braves are still 44-35, but they went 3-4 on this road trip that started with a great series win at Yankee Stadium. Thursday’s loss is only one game, but in it, the Braves continued reverting to last month’s version.

Five observations on this loss:

— 1. It seemed like the Braves had turned a corner. They won all but one game in their final homestand, including sweeping a series before heading on the road. They took a series at Yankee Stadium against a team that has one of the best records in baseball.

The Braves appeared to be themselves again.

Then they were not.

...continued

©2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.