Atlanta took a brutal 7-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in their late-season homestand opener Tuesday night. Any chance for a tone-setting win evaporated fast, with the offense going silent after the first inning and the starting pitcher making an early exit. This was a tough start for a team fighting to hold onto their division lead against another league leader.
Smith-Shawver’s Struggles Continue With Another Short Start
AJ Smith-Shawver dropped his second straight start, lasting a season-low 3 1/3 innings. He gave up four runs on five hits, striking out three and walking two. This isn’t new: he’s allowed three or more runs in five or fewer innings in each of his last four starts since rejoining the major league club. Brent Suter offered some bullpen relief, allowing one unearned run on three hits over a season-high-tying 3 2/3 innings. Elieser Hernández, however, got tagged for two runs over the final two frames.
Bats Vanish After First-Inning Flurry
The Braves’ offense flatlined after a wasted chance in the first. They responded early with consecutive singles from Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, and Drake Baldwin to level the score and put runners on the corners. Rays starter Freddy Peralta threw 32 pitches in that first frame, but Atlanta got nothing more out of a bases-loaded situation when Austin Riley struck out on an ABS-reviewed third strike. After those first four at-bats, the Braves had more hits (three) than they managed for the entire rest of the game, retired in 16 of their final 17 plate appearances. Peralta settled in, allowing just two more baserunners over his next five innings, before Kevin Kelly, Cam Sulser, and Bryan Baker closed out the comfortable win with perfect bullpen innings.
This 7-1 defeat is a major blow on a critical late-season homestand where they’re trying to protect their division lead. The only silver lining for Atlanta? The Phillies also lost 6-5. Still, the Braves need to bounce back immediately against the Rays if they want to keep their season on track.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply