After spotty pitching, porous defense and anemic offense sent the Braves an 0-4 start they looked better in most aspects against the Cardinals on Sunday.
The bullpen was the big exception, and it cost the Braves in a 12-7 loss at Turner Field.
The Braves are 0-5 for the first time since 1988, when they started 0-10 and finished 54-106. The Braves blew the last of three one-run leads in the game when the Cardinals hit consecutive, two-out RBI singles against relief pitcher Jim Johnson in the eighth inning for a 7-6 lead.
The Braves lost every game on their season-opening homestand and now head to Washington to begin a two-city, seven-game trip on Monday. The Braves lost two games to the Nationals to begin the season and were 0-10 at Nationals Park in 2015.
“It’s been a tough first week,” Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “We’ve got to take as many positives as we can. We scored some runs finally today. Hopefully we get on the road and maybe have some better luck.”
Braves right fielder Nick Markakis knocked three doubles, including a run-scoring hit that put the Braves ahead 6-5 in the sixth inning. But Matt Holliday’s flared single started the Cardinals’ final rally. After Johnson hit Matt Carpenter with a pitch, Jeremy Hazelbaker and Stephen Piscotty hit ground balls that made it through the infield to score runs.
Johnson entered the game with two outs in the seventh inning after Dan Winkler left with what the Braves said is a fractured right elbow. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said Johnson pitched well in spite of the results and cited Holliday's single as the turning point.
The ball fell in front of center fielder Drew Stubbs, who was playing deep to guard against doubles to the gaps.
“Maybe it’s a case where Drew hasn’t played with us but two games before spring training,” Gonzalez said. “But we make that play there and the inning is over and you’ve got a one-run lead in the ninth inning. But we aren’t making those plays. Balls are falling in and we just aren’t making plays and just having innings linger.”
The Cardinals added five runs in the ninth against right-hander Jose Ramirez.
The Braves got two runners on base with one out in the eighth inning against Cardinals reliever Jonathan Broxton. He struck out Markakis, who protested the third strike call to umpire Mark Wegner. Broxton intentionally walked Freeman before Trevor Rosenthal replaced him and struck out pinch hitter Jeff Francoeur to end the threat.
