The Braves bullpen struggled to keep the lead in Sunday’s series finale against the Rays and the Braves lost 7-5. They are 45-47.
Here are five takeaways from the game:
1. For the tenth time this season, the Braves lost a game in which they led after six innings. It’s the second time this weekend that the Braves suffered a blown lead in that situation, actually.
A.J. Minter entered the game in the seventh inning and gave up two runs on two hits to give the Rays a 5-4 advantage. Luke Jackson then came in for Minter and allowed two hits, two runs and a walk to extend the Rays’ lead to 7-5.
“He still probably has the best stuff in our bullpen as a pitcher,” Jackson said of Minter. “Ground balls find holes and sometimes they find people. It sucks sometimes. Sometimes you get those double plays. Others it’s a nine-hopper to the infield and it starts snowballing.”And snowball it did with the Braves allowing four runs in one inning. Sunday was the bullpen’s 15th blown save in 2021.
2. Josh Tomlin and Shane Greene closed out the final two innings for the Braves, allowing no baserunners on 18 combined pitches.
“The guys we’re using are guys that have helped us to be where we are,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “It’s been a big part of what we’ve done the past couple years. The last few weeks have obviously been a rough spot. It’s a tough part of this game.”
In his last 25 appearances, Minter has allowed 13 earned runs, 25 hits, seven walks and thrown 19 strikeouts over 17.1 innings pitched. Opponents have hit .342 in that span.
3. Making his Braves debut, catcher Stephen Vogt was a defensive bright spot. He worked well with starting lefty Drew Smyly for nearly six innings and threw a runner out at second in the seventh inning.
The veteran also had three hits and an RBI.
“Stephen did a great job with a guy he had never caught before,” Snitker said. “Very impressed with what he did, how he swung the bat, how he caught, the whole thing.”
Credit: John Bazemore
Credit: John Bazemore
4. The other recent acquisition continued his great start in a Braves uniform. Joc Pederson drove in two runs off two hits and drew a walk.
“Joc has come in here, done some damage and he’s going to be really good for us,” Snitker said.
5. The Braves will enter Monday four games behind the Mets in first place. They still feel like they can win a fourth-straight division title, but there was some frustration that they couldn’t get a series win against the Rays.
“We have the team, we have the bats, we have the starters to be great,” Jackson said. “It’s a good team we played today. It would have been nice to sneak Game 1 and Game 3 out, but sometimes you just get beat.”
Stat to know
4 (Joc Pederson hit four RBIs in his two starts this weekend)
Quotable
“When you’re a manager and bring guys in and get guys out, you’re a genius. When you bring guys in and they don’t get guys out, it’s ‘why’d you do that?’ That’s part of the game” (Brian Snitker on bringing in relievers)
Up next
The Braves open a three-game series with the Padres Monday and lefthander Kyle Muller (1-2, 3.45) will get his fourth major-league start. Righty Yu Darvish (7-3, 3.09) will get the start for San Diego with the game slated for a 7:20 p.m. start.
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