Teheran sharp, but Braves blanked by Red Sox for 6th straight loss
Julio Teheran looked a lot like his former 2014-vintage self Monday night against the Red Sox. Unfortunately his run support also was a lot like it was that year in his career-best season.
Teheran pitched seven strong innings, but it wasn’t enough in a 1-0 loss to open a two-game series at Turner Field that extended the Braves’ skid to six games and dropped their majors-worst record to 4-15.
The Braves also extended their homerless streak to 14 games, tying a September 1970 streak as the longest of the franchise’s Atlanta era that began in 1966.
Teheran (0-3) had his best start of the season, allowing six hits and one run in seven innings, with three walks and eight strikeouts. But Jackie Bradley Jr.’s seventh-inning homer was enough for the Red Sox, who got six 6 1/3 scoreless innings from starter Rick Porcello (4-0) and some big pitches in the seventh inning from left-hander Robbie Ross Jr.
“That’s the first time that I felt like that this year,” said Teheran, who threw 78 strikes in 115 pitches, tied for his highest total in two seasons. “I had everything working today, other than that one mistake I made in the seventh inning. But that’s part of the game. I was trying to make that pitch there, it was a change-up for a strike and he hit it pretty good.”
Former Braves closer Craig Kimbrel pitched a perfect ninth inning for the save, his fifth in as many appearances against the Braves since being traded the night before the 2015 season opener. He’s been perfect in four of those appearances.
He struck out Freddie Freeman for the final out, after Freeman thought he’d been hit by a pitch and made his way to first base. Umpire Mark Ripperger said the ball didn’t hit him, and the ruling was upheld upon video review.
There were only three left-handed batters in Boston lineup against Teheran (0-3), who sometimes sees lineups with at least twice that many. One of the lefties, Bradley, delivered the most damaging blow against Teheran.
Bradley hit a 1-and-0 change-up to the right-field pavilion seats, his first homer of the season. That would tie him for the team lead if he played for the Braves, who’ve hit three all season and one since opening day.
The Braves’ homerless streak matched a 14-game drought by the 2007 Angels as the longest during the Wild Card Era.
Four of five homers against Teheran have been by left-handed batters, as have seven of 10 extra-base hits. Lefties had a .605 slugging percentage against him before Monday, compared to .314 by right-handed hitters.
Nevertheless, it was an encouraging performance by Teheran. The last 10 of his 115 pitches were against Xander Bogaerts with bases loaded and two out in the seventh inning, when Bogaerts fouled off six and lined out to center.
“Julio pitched a great game,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “He really did a tremendous job, and I thought that last at-bat in the seventh inning might have been one of the best matchups I’ve seen in a long time. Julio making great pitches and the hitter not giving in. I thought he earned the opportunity to get to that guy. That was his guy. He pitched that well for me, that he earned that. And I’m glad he got him out.”
Teheran threw eight 91-92 mph fastballs and two sliders during the Bogaerts at-bat, looking a lot like the peak-form Teheran of 2014, when he had a 2.89 ERA in 221 innings. (He went 14-13 and the Braves scored one or no runs while he was in 13 starts that season). His ERA jumped to 4.04 last season and sits at 4.60 after five starts in 2016.
“That was more me right there, battling when I have men on base,: Teheran said. “I felt good that I was able to battle, and I was able to do it today…. I was a different Julio right there in that at-bat.”
It was just the second time in 10 games that the Braves got six innings from a starter, and the first time Teheran did it since giving up six runs and two homers in seven innings of an April 14 loss at Washington.
