Atlanta Braves Defeated By Pirates, Now 30 Losses In This Young Season

Braves Take Another Blow To Jugular, Lose 8-2

Atlanta Braves took their 30th loss of the season on Thursday night as they were defeated 8-2 by the Pittsburg Pirates.  30 losses wouldn’t be so bad if we were 60 games into the season.  We aren’t and the Braves are now 10-30 in 2016.  The Pirates took three of four games against the Braves.

What. A. Strange. Series.

In the past four games, we’ve gone through so much it’s unbelievable…almost comical.  Let’s recap what we’ve saw.

• Monday night Williams Perez allowed five runs in the first three innings.  Braves fight back in the 8th to get three runs, but fall 8-5.
• Following the game “The Email” came to Fredi Gonzalez informing him about his flight home the next morning.
• Gonzalez and General Manager John Coppolella sit in Choppy’s hotel room, order a pizza and drink some wine and informs Fredi he’s being fired.
• Bobby Cox claims he knew nothing about the firing prior to it happening.  John Hart says Cox did know about it.
• Brian Snitker was named the Braves intern Manager after being with the organization for 40 years.
• Tuesday, Aaron Blair was shelled as he lasted on 1.1 innings giving up nine hits, nine runs and a walk.  He will later be demoted to Triple-A Gwinnett.
• Bud Norris hits a damn triple…and starts a little rally.
• Once again, Braves fight, but fall short 12-9.  It’s tough to come back from a 9-0 deficit.
• The rollercoaster continues on Wednesday when Julio Teheran pitched a fantastic game as he got his first win of the season and Arodys Vizcaino picked up his fourth save of the season.
• Snitker gets his first victory as a Major League Manager.
• Erick Aybar had a chicken bone stuck in his throat and had to be rushed to the hospital.
• Freddie Freeman went 3-16 in the series with six strikeouts
• Jeff Francoeur had two home runs in the series, his first of the season.

Braves starting pitcher Mike Foltynewicz last only three innings giving up seven hits, five runs (four earned) and had only one strikeout.  The Pirates scored five runs in two innings to open the game and the Braves just couldn’t pick up any steam.

The Pirates scored early and often again.  They scored 17 runs in the first two innings throughout this series.  Atlanta has only comeback to win a ball game this year twice and spotting the Pirates this many was ridiculous.

“They’re just a really good hitting ball club,” Snitker said after the game.  “They just keep coming at you.  They’re just dangerous guys.  You’ve got to make your pitched and hit your spots and we didn’t do that.”

Tyler Flowers had two passed balls tonight behind the plate as the Braves are now second worst in the MLB in this category.

Braves had seven hits, but were only able to muster two runs on Thursday.

Chase D’Arnaud batted leadoff for the Braves and went 2-3 with a double, walk and stolen base.  He’s a guy that nobody’s talked about, but all the sudden finds himself hitting in the top spot.

“He was hot against lefties and the kid can run,” Snitker said post game.  “I don’t know, it just kind of felt right today.  I don’t know what we’ll do tomorrow, but he’s been swinging the bat good.  It’s not like we have a bona fide leadoff guy right now.  So I just had a good feeling with it.”

Ugh, what?!?  Hopefully he just lost his train of thought for a second.

I realize Mallex Smith is still a work-in-progress at the leadoff spot, but he is your bona fide leadoff guy.  Also Ender Inciarte hasn’t been hitting great, but he’s still a solid leadoff guy.  This was the first strange comment I’ve heard from Snit.

This was an odd series and I’m glad it’s behind us.  Now we’re off to Philadelphia for a weekend series with the Phillies.