Frustrations abound as Braves swept in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS – Braves left fielder Mauricio Dubon erupted at home plate umpire Carlos Torres upon striking out on a check swing to conclude a nine-pitch at-bat. Dubon expressed his frustration, including that Torres didn’t check with first-base umpire Nate Tomlinson, and manager Walt Weiss interjected in his defense.

Weiss was ejected. Dubon spiked his helmet into the dirt as he walked back to the dugout.

That sequence was the boiling point of a maddening, inexplicable series.

The Braves were swept in Minnesota, losing Wednesday’s finale 6-4. It was one of their most uninspiring series of the season and has swung the door further open for the Phillies, who will enter play Wednesday evening just five games back in the National League East.

It was a dreary few days offensively. The Braves scored just eight runs, half of which came in the finale, against a team that considers pitching a weakness. The offense had largely sputtered for a couple of weeks, but this felt like a low point. Weiss, asked about the issues Tuesday, said simply that his team needed to assemble better at-bats.

While the offensive performance was better in the finale, it wasn’t good enough. And it’s led to a very difficult start to a four-city road trip.

AJ Smith-Shawver returned to the mound and made just his second major league start in 445 days. It was the official beginning of what he hopes is an ascent that earns him a spot in the postseason rotation.

Smith-Shawver saw his pitch count bumped up early due to some bad luck, but he was solid before wearing down in the fifth frame. He surrendered four runs on five hits in 4-1/3 innings, leaving after issuing a bases-loaded walk to Josh Bell. Kody Clemens’ double off Dylan Dodd scored two more runs charged to Smith-Shawver.

Before he slowed down, Smith-Shawver illustrated some of the ability that’s led many to believe he’ll be a postseason starter for this club, including inducing 11 whiffs on 21 swings against his splitter.

The Twins’ first run came partly on good fortune. Smith-Shawver issued a one-out walk to Victor Caratini, then Kaelen Culpepper popped a ball off the bat at 75 mph that dropped just in front of Michael Harris II in center field. Luke Keaschall then bunted the ball into the air just over Smith-Shawver’s head, allowing him to reach base.

Byron Buxton’s grounder produced a run, but on top of it the Braves weren’t able to create an out. Smith-Shawver, then faced with another bases-loaded situation, coaxed a double play from Bell.

An inning later, Royce Lewis laced a single to left. He stole second and advanced on a missed-catch error by the normally defensively sound shortstop Jim Jarvis. Smith-Shawver struck out Trevor Larnach and retired Brooks Lee on a grounder to leave the runner at third.

It was encouraging to see Smith-Shawver navigate those circumstances. He lost command in his final frame, but there was more good than bad in his return.

The Braves reset the game with a three-run sixth that included the tying run scoring on a Tommy Nance balk (they’ll take whatever they can get given their offensive issues). The team, though, couldn’t muster more afterward.