ST. LOUIS — While Brian McCann has fought one of the worst slumps of his career, the Braves have sputtered down the stretch in a playoff race.
This is particularly difficult for the Braves’ six-time All-Star catcher, who takes a lot of pride in being a hitter his team can count on.
Since returning Aug. 14 from a stint on the disabled list for a strained oblique, he was 12-for-78 (.154) with five homers, 10 RBIs, 21 strikeouts and a .283 on-base percentage in 22 games before Saturday.
The 21 strikeouts in 78 at-bats are particularly unusual for McCann, who has never struck out 100 times in a season and had only 64 strikeouts in 509 at-bats in 2008.
“It’s been a struggle since I got back from the DL for some reason,” McCann said. “This is really the first time in my career that I’ve gone into 50 to 100 at-bats where I really haven’t been consistent. It’s a learning curve — it’s the first time I’ve tried to come back. ...
“I’m starting to feel a lot better at the plate the last couple of days. We’ll see what happens.”
McCann had an RBI double in the Braves’ two-run first inning Friday against the Cardinals. They led 3-1 before Craig Kimbrel blew the lead in the ninth inning of a 4-3 loss, the sixth defeat in nine games for the Braves.
It was the first RBI in seven games for McCann.
He had two homers in an Aug. 14 game at Wrigley Field in Chicago, after which he said something had finally clicked with his swing during an early workout that day in the batting cage. McCann thought he had it figured out.
Since then, he was 5-for-38 (.132) with one homer, three RBIs and 13 strikeouts in his past 11 games before Saturday.
Kimbrel’s streak ends
If Kimbrel was to face Albert Pujols with two out in the ninth inning and a game on the line, the last thing he wanted was to walk the two batters ahead of him.
That’s what he did Friday, walking Rafael Furcal and Ryan Theriot to load the bases with the Braves ahead 3-1. Pujols hit a sharp single down the first-base line to end Kimbrel’s 38-appearance scoreless streak and send the game to extra innings.
Scott Linebrink gave up two hits to start the 10th and a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Nick Punto for a 4-3 Cardinals win.
Kimbrel had not given up a run in 37 2/3 innings since June 11, the longest streak in the majors this season and fifth-longest in a season since Orel Hershiser set the major league record of 59 1/3 scoreless innings in 1988.
“Whenever you put guys on for free, it seems like it always comes back to get you,” Kimbrel said. “And I just hung a pitch there at the end, and he kept it inside the line. It wasn’t a pitch I wanted to throw or where I wanted to throw it. I made a mistake, and he made me pay for it.”
In three appearances against the Cardinals this season, Kimbrel was 0-1 with a 15.43 ERA and 0-for-2 in save opportunities before Saturday. In 69 appearances against everyone else, he’s 3-1 with a 1.32 ERA and 43 saves in 47 chances.
Jonny Venters also gave up two hits and hit a batter in the eighth, but escaped without giving up a run. Venters, who leads the majors with 77 appearances, would not be used Saturday after pitching in three consecutive games, manager Fredi Gonzalez said.
Rotation matters
Gonzalez said Randall Delgado likely would stay in the rotation for another start while fellow Braves pitching prospect Julio Teheran would be sent to the bullpen.
Both made spot starts this week. Teheran (1-1) allowed one run and five hits in 5 1/3 innings against the Mets in Thursday’s doubleheader for his first win in his third start.
Delgado gave up one run, three hits and three walks in five innings for no decision Friday against the Cardinals. He’s 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA.
The Braves need one to start Wednesday against Florida.
