The scoreboard at that time: 8-0, Braves.

Remember this team?

“I definitely think this is us,” Riley said.

The Braves on Monday beat the Blue Jays, 8-4, at Rogers Centre here in Toronto. Blue Jays left-hander Easton Lucas had not allowed a run over two starts to begin this season … then was tagged for eight of them.

Remember the team that can do that?

This could be a turning point for these Braves. Or it might simply be one win in another eventual series loss.

We’ll see.

But it’s certainly the type of victory that could spark something because it might allow guys to relax. This much is evident: The Braves have been pressing. At the plate, they have tried way too hard to break out of this funk. In this win, they witnessed a performance that could remind them of how dominant they can be when they click.

“Any time you do what we did tonight, hopefully it breeds a little confidence and guys start feeling themselves,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “Because it’s gonna happen. We’re gonna get on a roll. We’ve got two rough (starting pitchers) (to face) the next two nights, but that was good. A lot of really positive things happened tonight.”

Yes, the Braves will see Kevin Gausman on Tuesday and Chris Bassitt on Wednesday – two good starters. But the Braves will counter the Spencers – Schwellenbach on Tuesday, Strider on Wednesday. This represents a great chance for Atlanta to gain momentum to finish the trip.

“Yeah, it’s gonna be huge,” Riley said. “You expect them to go out there and do their thing, and I’m sure they will. And no better two guys to have. Hopefully the offense can build on tonight and give them some run support.”

Run support. This was the biggest change on Monday.

Grant Holmes didn’t allow his first run until the sixth inning. He pitched into the eighth and eventually was charged with three earned runs, with the final two scoring after he departed. It was a marvelous outing from Holmes, the guy pitching for the team he idolized growing up.

“It’s great. It’s just as simple as that,” Holmes said of his start. “It feels good to go deep in the game. And when you can do it after a short one the past couple of weeks, it’s even better. I’m just super thankful for the outing tonight and the big win.”

Added catcher Sean Murphy, who caught Holmes all the way back in their minor-league days with the Athletics organization: “He was phenomenal tonight. I can’t say enough about the mix he had, the ability to throw strikes – and picking up quick outs, which is something we’ve had some trouble with recently. Much needed from Grant going deep into the game.”

That Holmes’ outing meant something is a testament to the offense. For the first two and a half weeks of the season, the Braves’ lineup has often let down the pitching. Has the pitching been perfect? Not always. But the Braves would be better than 5-11 if the hitters had pulled more of their weight.

This is why it was so encouraging to see Riley, who had been frustrated with his early-season performance, blast two homers. In a quiet Dodger Stadium clubhouse after a winless trip to begin the season, Riley called his performance “embarrassing.” He seemed ticked.

So, to have a night like this?

“Yeah, it feels good,” Riley said. “Obviously, it’s what I’m there to do, is drive in runs and do damage. Tonight was one of those nights that I felt like I was (doing) what I’m supposed to do, and it felt good.”

We’ve seen Riley get so hot for a few months at a time. He can get on a heater in an instant, and a few months later, you’ll look back in awe at his numbers. He’s the type of bat that can carry an offense.

“He has that capability,” Snitker said. “He’s that kind of guy. We’ve seen him get on those runs, and it can be really, really good. So hopefully he’s on the verge of doing that again. You know what, Matt’s had some really good at-bats too, I’m really encouraged the last couple of days with him. We get two or three guys clicking, then it’s gonna be a whole different ballgame.”

After Sunday’s game in Tampa, the Braves sent Marcell Ozuna back to Atlanta for an MRI on his hip. It showed inflammation, but nothing serious. Ozuna is day-to-day. In his place, Murphy hit cleanup on Monday, while Bryan De La Cruz was the designated hitter. At the beginning of the afternoon, the lineup looked much worse without Ozuna.

Then the group hung eight runs.

In Los Angeles, Ronald Acuña Jr. on Monday began undergoing a battery of tests with Dr. Neal ElAttrache. The testing will determine whether Acuña can progress to the final stages of his rehab from ACL surgery – including cutting when he runs.

So the lineup could receive a rather massive injection of talent in the next few weeks.

For now, the Braves have seen what they can do. They didn’t forget, but Monday was a nice reminder.

“We gotta stay the course,” Riley said. “There obviously were a lot of bad (things) that first week or so, but I still think there were some good (at-bats) there and a lot of hard-hit balls. Matty (Olson) continues to hit the ball hard and not really getting anything. We just gotta stay the course. It’s a long season. We’d be doing ourselves some injustice if we panicked the first week and a half, two weeks. We just gotta come in and continue to work and build off tonight.”

A turning point?

Maybe. Maybe not.

This is, after all, the team that hasn’t yet won consecutive games this season.

Then again, the Braves haven’t had Schwellenbach and Strider lined up to pitch on back-to-back days – until now.

“It’s big, I think,” Snitker said. “It’s gonna be a shot in the arm here as we start to get our guys back. I’m excited.”