Nine runs over the last 39 innings won’t cut it.
There are many highs and lows over the course of a 162 game marathon.
The Braves are in a low offensively, falling for the second night in a row to the Seattle Mariners, 3-2. It marked the first time all year the club has lost consecutive games. They have scored nine runs over the last 39 innings dating back to Saturday.
Atlanta’s bats were once again missing in action for most of the evening. Luis Castillo diced through the Braves’ order for seven innings while surrendering just three scattered hits and a walk. A good chunk of the lineup is in a funk to varying degrees — Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley and Matt Olson currently have an average OPS of about .685 — and the frustration was apparent in watching the club swing through pitch after pitch on Tuesday night. Many of the innings ended without a baserunner or even competitive at-bats.
Atlanta mounted a minor rally in the eighth. Ozzie Albies, one of the few in the order hitting anything at the moment, drove in the first run of the game with a single, and a squibber off the bat of Austin Riley forced a bad throw down the first base line to score the second run of the game. But after an intentional walk to Matt Olson to load the bases with one out, Marcell Ozuna struck out and Orlando Arcia flailed at a slider off the plate for the final outs of the inning.
The ninth inning was more of the same; Michael Harris struck out, Travis d’Arnaud lined out to center, and Jarred Kelenic struck out to end it.
We will see if manager Brian Snitker makes any adjustments to try and shake things up. A day off for Acuña, Riley, and/or Olson couldn’t hurt.
Reynaldo Lopez was effective once again for five innings, although a mistake to Jorge Polanco that made its way over the wall gave Seattle an early 2-0 lead. They would tack on another run in the fourth to make it 3-0. Lopez struck out seven while giving up six hits and two walks.
The series concludes with a Wednesday matinee between Chris Sale and Emerson Hancock. First pitch is set for 3:40 p.m. ET.