Braves Fall Out of Top NL Wild Card Spot With Sixth Straight Loss

The Atlanta Braves lost 8-4 to the New York Mets on Friday to lose their sixth straight contest.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Charlie Morton / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Braves took another brutal loss, 8-4, to the New York Mets to fall in their sixth-straight game Friday night. It’s their longest losing streak since 2017. 

With the loss, the Braves dropped out of the first NL wild card spot and into third place in the National League East. 

Since their return from the All-Star Break, the Braves have a single win. 

All the issues impacting the team have come to a head. As injuries have piled up, starting pitching has struggled along with the offense. Despite the losing streak, the team is trying to stay positive. 

“We have been saying it for a while now,” Braves right fielder Adam Duvall said. “But eventually the chips are going to fall. I think we will be right where we need to be.”

But that doesn’t mean the pressure isn’t being felt. 

“There’s definitely a sense of urgency,” Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud said. “It’s been over 100 games...we know we gotta get it going.”

Trade deadline aside, it’s going to take current players getting back into a groove if they want to correct course. 

Key Healthy Players Struggling

The biggest issues with the Braves offense are not new, but there were a couple success stories during the middle part of the season that had helped keep the team afloat. That, though, has largely come to an end, and  it’s reflected in the outcome of games. 

Not too long ago, manager Brian Snitker was being praised for moving outfielder Jarred Kelenic to the leadoff spot. Now, he’s having one of the worst stretches of his career.

It goes beyond bunting when it wasn’t signaled. In his last 12 games, he has three hits in 46 at-bats (.065 average). His batting average for the season has dropped from .283 on June 29 to .244. 

Then, there’s Reynaldo Lopez starting to look a little more human. In four starts in July, he has a 3.63 ERA in 22.1 innings. But this ERA received a boost from a single scoreless start.

In his other three starts, he has a 4.96 ERA. 

These are just the notable examples of guys who were succeeding that now aren’t. This doesn’t include the season-long struggles of Adam Duvall and Matt Olson. Both have had their occasional big game, Duvall having one of those in the most recent loss, but nothing has been sustained. 

On top of that, bringing back Eddie Rosario hasn’t panned out - he’s batting .179 with a .545 OPS. Shortstop prospect Nacho Alvarez is, unsurprisingly, in an adjustment period after being promoted to the majors. He has one hit in 16 at-bats. 

Charlie Morton continued his struggle to find consistency Friday night, giving up seven runs (five earned) in just 2.2 innings  -- including three home runs allowed in a single inning, which ended his night. 

It’s one new problem after another on top of chronic issues. 

No, the season isn’t finished. The Braves are still in a playoff spot and above .500. The course can still be correct, and the right deadline moves could do the trick – after all, it’s worked previously. But this stretch has shown how little margin for error the team has given itself. 

If this rut drags on long enough, the Braves could find themselves running out of race track.