Braves Rewind: Solo homers can beat you
Giants 3,
Braves 1
Late Saturday
How the game was won
Julio Teheran gave up only four hits in six innings, but three were home runs that powered the Giants to a 3-1 victory at Turner Field, extending the Braves’ losing streak to five games, their longest skid since 2012.
Braves lowlights
Teheran (2-2) had not allowed more than two home runs in 40 career starts before Saturday, when he gave up more than two earned runs for the first time in six starts this season. … The Braves have hit .194 and scored 10 runs in the past six games, including a 1-0, 10-inning victory against the Reds before being swept by the Marlins.
Quoting them
“We’ve just got to get our offense going. Our offense has got to help us out a little bit. Guys are going out there, getting a couple of guys on base, then we hit into a double play. What did we hit into, three (double plays) today? We hit into two, and then the strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out.” — Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez
“Same story as last night. When you lose it’s probably because you’re not coming up with those big hits when guys are in scoring position, and that’s why we’re losing ballgames. We had a lot of chances. Two hits – we get guys first and second, bases loaded, we get two hits and we beat them. We beat them by a couple of runs. But we’re not doing that right now, and that’s why we’re losing.” — Braves third baseman Chris Johnson
“Sometimes you’re going to go out and get beat by good pitching. We’ve done that as of late. We have to find a way to scratch across more runs than we’re scratching across right now.” — Braves left fielder Justin Upton, who struck out twice with two runners on base and also grounded into a double play.
Notable
Braves starting pitchers, after allowing seven homers and 28 earned runs in 160 2/3 innings in the first 24 games, have allowed nine homers and 24 earned runs in the past five games. All three homers off Teheran led off innings – Brandon Belt in the second inning, Leesburg native Buster Posey in the fourth, and Michael Morse on the first pitch of the seventh…. Teheran is 1-1 with a 1.20 ERA in his past four starts, including no decision when he pitched eight scoreless innings of three-hit ball in the 10-inning win against the Reds. The Braves have scored one or no runs while he was in the game in four of Teheran’s six starts. … The Braves have been held to two runs or fewer 12 times. They have a 4-8 record in those games, and they’re 3-9 when they don’t hit at least one homer, compared to 14-3 when they do.
