Miami — The Braves have endured as many significant injuries as any team in the National League, but almost all of those disabled have been pitchers. Yet the pitching staff has overcome and ranks among league leaders in most categories.

It's the offense, the disappointing lineup, that has struggled so mightily for much of the season, a major reason the Braves are in fourth place and six games behind in the NL East.

The Braves hit just .227 during a 7-12 stretch through Tuesday, and 21 of the meager 71 runs they scored in that stretch came in two games. They scored one or no runs in seven of the other 17.

No one has been more frustrated by the offense's malaise than hitting coach Terry Pendleton.

"When we're doing like we're doing, absolutely [it's frustrating]," said Pendleton, who watched his Braves muster just one hit — a Chipper Jones single — in Tuesday's 4-0 loss to Florida, and fail to score after loading the bases with no outs on three consecutive walks in the fourth inning.

"There's games where we hit like we're supposed to hit, and then there's games where we don't. There are days, like when I left here [Tuesday] night, where I've gone back to the hotel and I was like, 'What is it? What is it? What can I do differently? What can they do differently? What can I do to assist them in doing differently?'

"I know it's frustrating for the players, because they're working so hard," Pendleton said. "By the same token, we've got to find a way to get it done."

The Braves were fifth in the NL with a .263 average before Wednesday, but were ninth with runners in scoring position (.257), and 13th with runners in scoring position and two outs (.226).

They have demonstrated an inability to deliver timely hits, had a league-low 20 homers from outfielders, and had modest or worse production from returners including Matt Diaz (before injury), Kelly Johnson and Jeff Francoeur.

The team was counting on Francoeur after back-to-back 100-RBI seasons, and the right fielder was hitting .231 with nine homers, 44 RBIs and a .287 on-base percentage in 95 games before Tuesday.

Francoeur was 16-for-104 (.154) with six RBIs in his previous 28 games, with as many errors (three) as extra-base hits in that stretch.

He struck out swinging at four pitches — three high — with the bases loaded and none out Tuesday. That dropped Francoeur to 3-for-22 with the bases loaded.

"I think a lot of times when you start having the inconsistency that we've had, a lot of guys tend to want to do too much," Pendleton said. "And when you do that, it gets worse."

Asked if that Francoeur at-bat was an example, Pendleton said, "Yeah. We talked about that a little bit. It's not a physical thing; he swung at a couple of bad pitches, which is a mental thing.

"The whole thing is when you walk up to the plate, you have to prepare yourself for that at-bat, meaning I've got to go up there and look for a pitch that I can handle. The pressure's on that guy out there on the mound, not on me. So I just tried to reiterate that to him."