Cobb Reporter

PHOENIX -- Braves manager Brian Snitker and some of his players have spent the past few weeks occasionally saying, “it doesn’t feel like we’re clicking on all cylinders yet.” Three days before the All-Star break, it seems time to ask what it might take for this team to finally go on a sustained successful run.

“I don’t know,” Braves first baseman Matt Olson said. “It’s a good question. I don’t have an answer for it."

The answer wasn’t found as the Braves were unable to overcome the one run Max Fried surrendered in a 1-0 loss to the D-backs on Thursday night at Chase Field. Olson came within a few feet of a game-tying homer in the ninth and Sean Murphy was robbed of an extra-base hit in the eighth.

But close doesn’t cut it, especially when the Braves were trying to end the season’s first half on a roll. They took two of three against the Phillies last weekend and then won the first two games of this four-game set. But the momentum died with consecutive losses to the D-backs.

“We wanted to get the series win, but it just didn’t work out,” Snitker said.

Three months removed from their only winning streak of at least five games this year, the Braves are running out of things to say. They entered Thursday having scored five-plus runs in each of their past six games. But Brandon Pfaddt limited them to three hits over six scoreless innings.

Consequently, Fried had to dwell on the 3-2 changeup that Eugenio Suárez hit over the center-field wall to begin the bottom of the fifth. Suárez homered against Charlie Morton’s curveball on Wednesday. If Fried could have had that pitch back, he might not have gone offspeed.

“That’s the best I’ve felt with mechanics, timing and just stuff in quite a while,” Fried said. “Knowing you make a mistake and give up a home run, that was an outing with the way I was feeling and the stuff that I had, it could have been a scoreless one.”

Fried might not have dwelled on that one pitch had he gotten any offensive assistance. Olson’s long ninth-inning drive was caught at the wall by leaping left fielder Jake McCarthy. According to Statcast, it would have been a home run in 15 of 30 big league parks.

“Honestly, that should have gone further than it should have,” Olson said. “I didn’t hit it well.”

McCarthy was playing center when he went a long way to rob Murphy of what would have been a one-out double in the eighth.

But the Braves had only themselves to blame when Olson, Marcell Ozuna and Adam Duvall were retired after Austin Riley began at bat top of seventh with double.

How can they get going offensively?

1. Get Olson on track

Olson has been one key player who hasn’t been able to get on a roll this year. His bid build last year MVP-caliber season has frustration-filled hitting .234 with 13 homers .728 OPS produced 1 .063 OPS over 20 games May June hit .153 .470 OPS past Harris sidelined since June hamstring strain running week Minor League rehab assignment soon return help lengthen lineup depend whether add another quality-hitting outfielder mix July Trade Deadline

2 Bat Riley second right-handed starters

Ozzie Albies hit left side switch-hitting second baseman seem good option bat right-handed pitchers Instead chance putting Austin Riley Ozuna back-to-back lineup Riley OPS past games boasts season seventh-best MLB Albies hard pass opportunity face left-handed pitcher inning southpaw starter sense put leadoff spot follow force Jarred Kelenic lineup these games

3 Make trade

Michael Harris II sidelined since June hamstring strain running week Minor League rehab assignment soon return help lengthen lineup depend whether add another quality-hitting outfielder mix July Trade Deadline