With the score 9-6 in favor of Baltimore in the bottom of the 10th inning, the bottom of the Braves’ lineup came up to the plate and proceeded to fly out to center, strike out, and ground out to short to end the game.
The Braves are now 39-49, and 12.5 games out of first place in the National League East.
The game could not have started better for the Atlanta Braves. Three of the first batters for the Baltimore Orioles were struck out by a first-time starting pitcher. Atlanta picked up two runs in the first inning when Austin Riley went deep into center field for his 13th home run of the season with Matt Olson on second base.
A loss today, in the 88th game of the season, made it three consecutive series losses for Atlanta. The only positive over the past three weeks was the four-game series with the Mets at Citi Field in Queens, New York in mid-June. The Braves and Mets split those four games, but only after Atlanta won the first two games.
Braves reliever Aaron Bummer (1-1, 2.86 ERA) started the game against Baltimore starter Dean Kremer (7-7, 4.27 ERA). Saturday was the first start of the season for Bummer. Only Scott Blewett (1) and Reynaldo Lopez (1) have started games this season for the Braves outside of the regular rotation. That doesn’t include the three starts for 20-year-old rookie Didier Fuentes (0-2, 9.00 ERA).
Bummer struck out Orioles leadoff hitter Jackson Holliday, shortstop Gunnar Henderson, and designated hitter Ramon Laureano to begin the inning. The sole blemish was hitting Jordan Westburg, who batted second on Saturday, with a pitch. He struck out two of the next three batters he faced in the second inning, reaching a season-high of five strikeouts in the process.
The no-hitter and strikeout fest lasted just one more hitter as Baltimore right fielder Tyler O’Neil blasted a solo home run to left field to begin the third inning. Bummer would give up a two-run home run to Westburg a few batters later to put the Braves behind 3-2.
The game was tied just as quickly when Matt Olson hit his 17th home run, a solo line drive down the right field line, to tie the score at 3 in the bottom of the third.
Dylan Dodd was brought into the game in relief of Bummer and proceeded to give up another two-run home run, this time to Orioles left fielder Colton Cowser on a 0-2 count in the fourth inning. Down 5-3 in the bottom of the fourth, Nick Allen doubled and Ronald Acuna, Jr. walked to give red-hot Olson base runners to bring home. His single (he now had a single, double, and a home run) brought Allen in from second to bring Atlanta within a run, 5-4. Austin Riley’s double brought Acuna, Jr. to the plate to tie the game at 5.
Former Atlanta Braves reliever Scott Blewett was back at Truist Park, pitching in the seventh inning for the Orioles. Blewett has pitched in 11 games for the Orioles and 11 games for the Braves this season. He started the year with the Minnesota Twins (two games) before coming to Atlanta. Blewett gave up an infield single to Allen, a pair of walks to Acune, Jr., and Olson, and was charged with a run when Jurisckon Profar grounded out to short, but drove Allen in from third base to give Atlanta a 6-5 lead.
Enyel De Los Santos and Austin Cox saw the mound during the sixth inning for the Braves. Cox gave up a double to Cedric Mullins and a single to Holliday, bringing in the tying run. De Los Santos had a stellar eighth inning, striking out three Orioles (Laureano, Ryan O’Hearn, and Colton Cowser) during the scoreless inning. Raisel Iglesias came in in the ninth and failed to give up a run.
The Braves’ starting pitching had been a strong point of this season, and games like this were perfect examples of how important it will be to get Chris Sale and AJ Smith-Shawver back on the mound and Bryce Elder and Spencer Strider back in form.
First Class: The Braves took a moment between the second inning to publicly thank and welcome back Baltimore starting pitcher and former Braves star Charlie Morton to Truist Park. Morton (5-7, 5.47 ERS, 84 K’s) pitched and won on Friday night.
What’s Next: The Braves are hosting the Orioles early on Sunday morning (11:35 a.m.), before taking Monday off. The next six games (Tuesday-Sunday) before the All-Star break will be in Sacramento against the A’s and St. Louis against the Cardinals.
