Even great pitching efforts by Braves starters can be wasted by a lineup that just can’t produce runs consistently.
Braves right-hander Aaron Harang was bad on Thursday, and the offense was no better until finally showing signs of life late. It wasn’t enough, though, and the Dodgers beat the Braves 6-4 at Turner Field
The Braves lost for the 12th time in 15 games and suffered their sixth loss in seven games this season against the Dodgers. The Braves won’t see them again this regular season but the Athletics, with the best record in baseball, come to town Friday for a weekend series.
To win that series the Braves likely will need superb pitching because they don’t score runs consistently. Thursday was just the second time the Braves scored more than three runs in 14 games since July 29.
Harang had his recent string of quality starts snapped with five runs allowed over 4 1/3 innings. That was his worst start in nearly two months and the Braves’ offense managed just three hits, none for extra bases, in six innings against Dodgers right-handed Robert Hernandez.
The Braves broke through for three runs against reliever Brian Wilson in the eighth inning. Emilio Bonifacio singled, Freddie Freeman doubled and Justin Upton scored them both with a double. Andrelton Simmons cut the lead to 5-4 with an RBI single.
But the Dodgers added an insurance run in the ninth inning when Dee Gordon reached on a bunt and scored on Gonzalez’s double against Luis Avilan.
Braves right fielder Jason Heyward singled with one out in the bottom of the inning against Dodgers right-hander Kenley Jansen and Freddie Freeman doubled with two outs. Jansen closed out the victory by striking out B.J. Upton
Harang hadn’t been this ineffective since he gave up eight earned runs in five innings against Philadelphia on June 18. He’d posted a 2.55 ERA in the nine starts since then prior to Thursday while pitching at least six innings in each outing.
The Braves were down 1-0 barely five minutes into the game and Harang was in a 4-0 hole after three innings. The Braves cut the lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning but Harang gave it right back on Adrian Gonzalez’s bases-loaded, RBI single.
Harang’s day was done after he walked the next batter, Matt Kemp. David Hale got Andre Either to hit into a double play to end the inning and got through 2 2/3 scoreless innings but the Braves never threatened to rally.
Dodgers lead-off hitter Dee Gordon gave Harang the most trouble. He scored all four times he reached base and had two stolen bases to boost his majors-leading total to 54 .
Harang and the defense immediately ran into trouble against Gordon. Gordon led off the game with an infield hit, stole second base and went to third when catcher Gerald Laird’s late throw sailed into the outfield. Gordon scored when Yasiel Puig followed with a single.
The defense got better for the Braves—outfielders Jason Heyward and Emilio Bonifacio made running catches of line drives to end innings—but Harang never did.
With two outs and no runners on in the second inning, Harang got No. 7 hitter Miguel Rojas down 0-2 in the count before walking him. That brought up light-hitting catcher Drew Butera, who smacked Harang’s first pitch into the left-field stands for a 3-0 Dodgers lead.
The Dodgers added RBI singles by Gonzalez in the third and fifth innings and his run-scoring double in the ninth.
