The Reds only had three hits in seven innings against Julio Teheran, but one was quite loud and damaging for the Braves and their star-crossed pitcher.
Jay Bruce’s three-run homer in the first inning proved more than enough offense for the Reds in a 3-1 win Tuesday night at Turner Field, the 10th loss in 12 games for the Braves and their 27th loss in 34 home games.
The Braves loaded the bases with none out in the ninth against Blake Wood but failed to score after the Atlanta native and former Georgia Tech pitcher struck out pinch-hitter A.J. Pierzynski and induced a game-ending double-play grounder by Mallex Smith.
“He’s been pitching phenomenal, we just haven’t been backing him up,” Smith said of Teheran, who had the fourth-worst run support among major league starters before Tuesday. “I know that has to sting.”
No other major league team has fewer than 12 home wins, and the Braves’ 18-46 record is the worst in the majors and the franchise’s worst through 64 games since the 1911 Boston Rustlers started 14-50 in a 44-107 season.
The Braves are on pace for 46-116, which would break a franchise record for losses by the 1935 Boston Braves (38-115). Four teams have lost 115 or more since 1900, and only the 2003 Detroit Tigers (43-119) in the last half-century.
Teheran (2-7) allowed three hits, three runs and one walk with eight strikeouts in seven innings, and retired 19 of the last 20 batters he faced including 17 in a row. The anemic Braves couldn’t overcome a three-run deficit despite several chances.
“Whenever you get bases loaded with nobody out you expect to score some runs, but I know they’ve been trying hard,” Teheran said. “We’re getting there. It’s a little bit frustrating, but we’re trying to work on it and I know they’re trying hard.”
The Braves were 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position in the first four innings, while the Reds were 1-for-1 in those situations to that point and held a 3-1 lead. The Braves finished 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and have hit .170 (36-for-212) in those situations in their past 25 games, with 51 strikeouts.
After putting two on with one out in the third inning and failing to score, the Braves got on the board in the fourth after a leadoff single by Adonis Garcia, who had two of their five hits. He stole second, went to third on Jace Peterson’s single and scored on Teheran’s sacrifice bunt.
The Braves didn’t get another runner past first base until the ninth, when Garcia drew a leadoff walk, Tyler Flowers singled and Peterson walked to load the bases with none out against Wood.
“Shoot, I was expecting A.J. to hit one in the gap and win the game, or hit one out,” Snitker said. “I mean, I felt good right there. We’re in a good position right there. It’s just not happening. Nothing you can do, just keep going up there and grinding through at-bats. I know it’s becoming a cliché when I say that, but that’s what it is. Sooner or later that thing will turn and we’ll start getting some balls in gaps and winning some games.”
Brandon Finnegan allowed one run, four hits and three walks in six innings to become the latest lefty starter to subdue the Braves, and former Braves minor leaguer J.J. Hoover pitched two perfect relief innings for the Reds — after entering with a 14.34 ERA in 12 appearances.
Teheran is 2-5 with a 2.13 ERA in his past 11 starts. He’s allowed three runs or fewer in every start during that span, and the Braves have scored two runs or fewer while he’s been in eight of those 11 games.
Six of 11 hits allowed by Teheran in his past three starts have been home runs, and they accounted for all eight runs he gave up in 20 2/3 innings in those games.
“Nobody really manufacturers runs off him,” Smith said. “They have one big inning and then that’s it.”
After serving up five bases-empty homers in his previous two starts, Teheran gave up three runs on Bruce’s homer on a 2-2 slider, after a Joey Votto walk and Brandon Phillips single.
“He wasn’t the perfect guy to throw that pitch,” Teheran said. “He has the ability to hit sliders away. I made that pitch just to see how he would react, and that was a big mistake for me.”
Snitker said, “He got two strikes on the two guys who were on base before he hit the homer. But after that, God almighty he was nails. Gave us a long time to come back, too. It’s the first inning, so we have nine at-bats to chip away at the lead, and just couldn’t get the big hit.”
After Kyle Waldrop reached on a two-out error by second baseman Peterson in the first inning, Teheran retired 17 consecutive batters before Waldrop’s seventh-inning double.
