AJC beat writer David O’Brien reports from Washington where the Braves are in the midst of a losing streak like we haven’t seen in more than 25 years.
Extra innings in D.C.
Back-to-back hits by Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman in the bottom of the 10th inning set the stage for a three-run walk-off home run by Michael A. Taylor as the Washington Nationals rallied Friday to win 5-2 to hand the visiting Braves their 10th consecutive loss. Taylor hit the home run off Brandon Cuniff. Earlier in the game, Harper hit a 446-foot home run off Julio Teheran. Reliever Arodys Vizcaino blew a 2-1 lead with two outs in the ninth inning despite consistently hitting 100 mph on the radar gun. Before Friday, the Braves' 1-16 stretch was their worst in a 17-game period since 1977, when they lost 17 in a row during April and May. They are 12-39 dating to July 8, including 2-24 on the road in that period.
No speeches
Veteran catcher A.J. Pierzynski told O'Brien on Friday that he intends to be a good example but no cheerleader. "I mean, baseball's one of those games where rah-rah speeches don't really work. It's not about trying harder; sometimes you're (better served) trying easier. You just try to be a professional and go about it, play as hard as you can, and hopefully the guys follow that lead."
Lombard hired
Former Brave George Lombard, a graduate of Lovett High School, was hired as the Braves' new minor-league field coordinator. He spent the past six seasons working in the Boston Red Sox organization, including three seasons as minor league outfield and baserunning coordinator through 2015. He was a rookie-league manager and rookie-league hitting coach before that.
Minors’ update
We check in on third baseman Rio Ruiz, who finally settled in at the plate in August at Double-A Mississippi.
