After blowing late-innings leads in each of their first three losses, the Braves stumbled early and often Saturday night in a 12-2 loss to the Cardinals that felt more dispiriting than a home game in the first week of a season should ever feel.
Opening-day starter Julio Teheran threw 89 pitches and lasted just four innings, the Braves' defense was sloppy, their offense failed to do anything with opportunities in three of the first four innings, and they trailed 7-2 after five innings.
There was little if anything to recommend of this performance by the Braves, who fell to 0-4 for only the second time since 1988, when they started 0-10 on the way to a 54-106 record. They started 0-4 in 2012, then won 10 of their next 11.
“We’re not looking really pretty right now,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “In all aspects of the game – offensively, defensively, pitching. Today’s game was not a good game for us. But you know what? It’s only the fourth game of the year. Call it whatever you want. There’s no panic going on or anything like that, but it’s not really good baseball that our fans are watching right now.”
After completing a five-game homestand Sunday, the Braves start a two-city trip Monday in Washington with a four-game series at Nationals Park, where they were 0-10 last season.
Particularly troubling for the Braves has been the defense, which directly cost them potential wins in the first two games and was excruciating to watch Saturday night.
Right fielder Nick Markakis dropped a fly ball for a three-base error that let in a run, and shortstop Erick Aybar, the replacement for traded defensive star Andrelton Simmons, flubbed a routine double-play grounder and threw wide to first base on another play that was scored a hit.
The Cardinals, after hitting .168 and totaling seven runs while being swept in a season-opening three-game series at Pittsburgh, have 19 runs and 25 hits in two games against Atlanta. The Braves need a win Sunday to avoid being swept in a five-game homestand that began with two against the Nationals.
Teheran was charged with six hits, five runs (four earned), four walks and two wild pitches in four innings. He issued three walks in the first inning and got out unscathed, but wasn't as fortunate in the second inning, allowing two runs on two hits, a wild pitch and a passed ball charged to catcher A.J. Pierzynski.
The Cardinals pushed the lead to 3-0 in the third inning when Stephen Piscotty singled and scored when Markakis dropped Kolten Wong’s fly ball after miscommunicating with backup center fielder Drew Stubbs.
The Braves cut the lead to 3-2 in the third with two runs on three consecutive hits to start the inning, including Markakis’ RBI double and Freddie Freeman’s single. That was all the Braves could muster against Cardinals starter Carlos Martinez, who limited them to four hits and three walks in six innings.
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