This Mother's Day, the Atlanta Braves have more than just a series win on their minds—they're looking to break a heartbreaking three-year losing streak on the special day. And they're hoping starter Bryce Elder is the one to finally flip the script.
It turns out the Braves haven't won on Mother's Day since May 8, 2022, when Charlie Morton led them to a 9-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. Since then? Three straight losses, and each one came in particularly painful walk-off fashion. Raisel Iglesias took the L in both 2023 and 2025, while AJ Minter was tagged with the loss in 2024. That's a tough pattern for any team, let alone one that leads the league in road wins this season.
Enter Bryce Elder, who brings a sparkling 2.02 ERA into today's finale. The right-hander is coming off a dominant outing against Seattle, where he tossed six innings of two-run ball while striking out nine and allowing just two hits. He generated swings and misses on all five of his pitches and looked completely in command—outside of a two-run homer to J.P. Crawford in the third. "Bryce is for real," Braves manager Walt Weiss said after that game. And if Elder can deliver a complete game shutout, there's no risk of another late-inning bullpen collapse. Right? Right.
On the other side, the Dodgers will counter with 25-year-old lefty Justin Wrobleski, who has been nothing short of sensational since moving from the bullpen to the rotation on April 6. He's 5-0 with a 1.25 ERA over five starts, and those numbers become even more impressive when you remove a rocky three-run relief outing to start the season—since then, he's allowed just two earned runs across 32 innings. With Blake Snell struggling in his debut last night and Tyler Glasnow sidelined with back spasms, Wrobleski has made a strong case to stay in the rotation for the long haul.
So as the Braves close out their West Coast road trip, they're hoping to give their moms—and their fans—something to celebrate. A win today would not only break the streak, but also prove that this team knows how to finish strong on the road. All eyes are on Elder to set the tone and keep the bullpen out of harm's way.