The Morning TiltMonday, May 4, 2026

The Atlanta Braves are 25-10. The best 35-game start in franchise history — and the best since the 1892 Boston Beaneaters opened 52-22 in a split season that no longer exists. One hundred and thirty-four years between data points.

They swept Colorado in three games to get here. Chris Sale led Saturday's 9-1 rout — seven innings, one earned run, 11 strikeouts, his sixth win — with Drake Baldwin backing him with a two-run homer and four RBI. Sunday's 11-6 clincher belonged to Jonah Heim: a 425-foot home run and five RBI. The Braves lead baseball in scoring and sit atop MLB.com's power rankings for the first time in three years.

Two names for the week: Ronald Acuña Jr. is on the 10-day IL with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain — mild, two to three weeks, but any lower-body setback for a player with two prior ACL surgeries registers differently. And Raisel Iglesias, the closer who hasn't blown a save all season, is expected back from shoulder inflammation Tuesday in Seattle.

The roster keeps changing. The record doesn't care.

Ellis Magnolia on the 1892 parallel — the Beaneaters' blueprint, Anthopoulos's depth chart, and why the architecture hasn't changed in 134 years.

### Hawks

Six days until the NBA Draft Lottery. Chicago. Ping-pong balls. And roughly a 40% chance the Hawks land in the top four.

Atlanta holds the Pelicans' pick at seventh in the lottery order and the Bucks' pick at 10th, with a swap mechanism that keeps whichever lands higher. A top-four finish likely means Cameron Boozer out of Duke — a 6-9 forward who addresses the physicality gap the Knicks exposed in the first round. Staying at seven points toward Kingston Flemings or Mikel Brown Jr. — point guards built for the next decade. The Cavaliers' first-rounder at 23, from the De'Andre Hunter trade, adds a third swing.

The Hawks finished 46-36 and proved they have an identity. The lottery decides how fast that identity becomes a contender.

Simone Edgewood on lottery week in Atlanta — the barbershops, the group chats, and the breath the whole city is holding.

### Falcons

Kyle Pitts signed his $15.045 million franchise tag and reported to voluntary workouts — the first concrete movement of the 2026 offseason. After a career-best 2025 (88 catches, 928 yards, five touchdowns, second-team All-Pro), both sides have until July 15 to negotiate a long-term extension. The price will be significant. The leverage is mutual.

The quarterback picture holds its shape. Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. will share reps when OTAs open May 26, with Penix still working back from last year's ACL tear and no firm timetable for full clearance. Kevin Stefanski has been clear: the competition is real, but the timeline won't be rushed.

### United

Three straight wins. Atlanta United haven't put together a run like that all season until now.

Saba Lobjanidze scored twice against Montreal on Saturday — his first multi-goal MLS game of 2026 — and Latte Lath added another in a 3-1 result that made the league table slightly less bleak. Next: LA Galaxy at home May 9, then Orlando in the Open Cup quarterfinal.

The summer math looms. Mercedes-Benz Stadium hosts World Cup matches beginning mid-June, displacing United into six or more consecutive road games through August. The 2019 parallel — when the Super Bowl forced them out and they responded by winning the US Open Cup — remains the only relevant template. The window to collect home points is closing.

One more thing. The last franchise to match the Braves' 35-game pace won the World's Championship Series. They also played in a city the team would leave twice, in a league format retired after one season. History offers the comparison. It doesn't guarantee the ending. The Braves fly to Seattle tonight. The lottery is Sunday. Pitts is in the building. United is winning. Monday in Atlanta, and the whole city is moving forward — just at different speeds.