Braves Can't Overcome Pittsburgh Strong Start

The Atlanta Braves gave up five runs early against the Pirates.

May 24, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Ray Kerr (58) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Braves dropped their first game in their series with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The first few innings set the stage for how Friday night's game would go down inside PNC Park. The Pirates took it to the Braves 11-5.

Ray Kerr struggled in the start

After being called up from triple-A in time for his first major league start on Friday, it didn't go well for Ray Kerr or the Braves. He lasted four innings, gave up seven hits, and five earned runs. He did tally six strikeouts and just one walk.

Kerr was relieved by Darius Vines.

The relief arms didn't help the situation

Vines took over and it was more of the same for the Pirates - they had no issue scoring runs against Atlanta Friday night. The Pittsburgh lead jumped to 10-0 by the end of the sixth inning.

Atlanta's offense continues to be hot and cold

After a solid series against Chicago, the Atlanta offense went back into a form that we've seen throughout the season thus far. Every bat in the lineup is a threat to score but for whatever reason, the Braves go through stretches of games where it looks like they're going to have a tough time scoring.

Atlanta put five runs on the board in the eighth. Michael Harris, Travis d'Arnaud, and Ronald Acuña all had two hits. The team finished with seven total hits in the loss.

The Braves take on the Pirates in the second game of the series on Saturday and will look to even the series. First pitch from PNC Park is scheduled for 4:05 ET.