The Braves played their 100th game of the season Tuesday night at Truist Park, but the Giants did all of the celebrating.
The club suffered its eighth shutout of the season in a 9-0 loss that worsened its already bleak playoff chances.
The defeat dropped the Braves to 44-56 on the season, 12 games below the .500 mark. In baseball’s modern era, only one club made the postseason with at least that number of losses through its first 100 games — the New York Mets, who won the NL East with a 38-23 final stretch in 1973.
But the Braves, who were in the NL West that season, do not appear headed for the same trajectory.
And no matter what the club says, it knows it.
Look no further than the Braves’ lineup Tuesday night. The team sat third baseman Austin Riley to give him a few additional days to heal from a strained right abdomen, an understandable move since it has little at stake this season.
“If we were opening round 1 of the playoffs today, he’d be in the lineup,” manager Brian Snitker said before the game.
The Giants (53-49) entered the night riding a six-game losing streak but quickly jumped on Braves starter Davis Daniel. Their bats caught fire in the second inning with a four-run frame that saw nine batters come to the plate.
Daniel recovered by allowing only one more run through five innings, but the five-run deficit was too big for the Braves to overcome. The club, which averaged 6.3 runs per game since July 9, scuffled offensively, posting a 0-for-10 performance with runners in scoring position.
The Giants added to their lead with four runs against Braves reliever Wander Suero, resulting in position player Luke Williams taking the mound for the ninth inning (and throwing a perfect frame).
The Braves will try to take the series on Wednesday with a 12:15 p.m. first pitch and Spencer Strider on the mound.
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