It’s been no secret the Atlanta Braves have had a rough stretch dating all the way back to mid-August where they’ve gone 3-24 in their past 27 games leading up to tonight’s game. That also includes a 12-game losing streak at the pitcher friendly Turner Field, which is the longest losing streak in the franchise’s history. During that skid the Braves pitching staff gave up an average of 7.9 runs.
With the Toronto Blue Jays, the number one offense in Major League Baseball, coming to town it looked like those misfortunes would continue. However, in front of the 16,399 fans that showed up to support the home team, the Braves ended that dreadful losing streak with a 3-2 walk-off win off the bat of Andrelton Simmons.
The AL East leading Blue Jays have lost two-straight games but still lead the division over the New York Yankees by three games as they were defeated by the Tampa Bay Rays 6-3.
In a game that expected more offense, at least from the visiting Blue Jays, the two teams combined for five runs on 15 hits. Atlanta right-hander Julio Teheran got the start and pitched a pretty solid game. In 5.2 innings of work Teheran allowed five hits, two runs, four walks and struck out seven. When he wasn’t striking out batters he was struggling to put away hitters, as seen by his high pitch count of 113 pitches.
Veteran left-hander Mark Buehrle toed the slab for Toronto for the first time since September 7th. Buehrle received a cortisone shot in his left shoulder on September 8th and because of that only lasted five innings on 66 pitches. In those five innings Buehrle allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits and struck out two.
The Blue Jays jumped on the board first in the second inning. First baseman Justin Smoak led off the inning with a walk and advanced into scoring position on a Ryan Goins sharp single to right field. With two outs in the inning, eighth place hitter Cliff Pennington brought Smoak around to score with a single to right to give the Jays a 1-0 lead.
Atlanta quickly responded in the bottom half of the inning as Andrelton Simmons came through with an RBI groundout to score Adonis Garcia from third base. The very next inning, the Braves took a 2-1 lead as Freddie Freeman reached first on a fielding error by Smoak and scored Nick Markakis from third.
Neither team’s offense could string together a rally for the next couple of innings, but Justin Smoak redeemed his fielding miscue as he led off the sixth inning with a solo home run to left field, tying the game at two runs apiece.
What’s been the Braves weakness all season has been their bullpen, which supports the worst ERA in the big leagues at 4.82. Tonight they came through as they pitched 3.1 innings of shutout ball. Arodys Vizcaino (3-1, 2.16 ERA) pitched a scoreless top of ninth and picked up the win.
Rookie flame-thrower Aaron Sanchez (7-6, 3.10 ERA) came away with the loss as he pitched 1.1 innings where he allowed one run on four hits. Adonis Garcia led off the ninth with an infield single and was replaced by a pinch-runner Todd Cunningham who motored to third base after a single by A.J. Pierzynski. With runners on second and third and nobody out, the Blue Jays infield came in on defense. Sanchez was able to record one out before Andrelton Simmons ambushed the first pitch he saw and laced it to right field for the walk-off winner.
“We’ve been struggling to get wins lately,” said Simmons postgame. “We’ve been playing better, but getting this win is pretty big.”
The top of the Blue Jays lineup that consists of Ben Revere, Josh Donaldson and Jose Bautista went a combined 0-for-13 with four strikeouts. The absence of Edwin Encarnacion, who missed his second straight game with finger injury, was felt immensely despite his replacement in Smoak belting a home run.
“The story was we didn’t score,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. “Bottom line is we win when we score. We didn’t score enough tonight.”
UP NEXT:
The Toronto Blue Jays will send their ace left-hander David Price (15-5, 2.46 ERA) to the mound as they look to regain their winning touch. Price has been excellent as a member of the Jays. In eight starts, Price is 6-1 with a 2.28 ERA.
The Atlanta Braves will give the ball to their ace in right-hander Shelby Miller (5-14, 2.86 ERA). Obviously the win-loss record doesn’t do Miller any justice, as he is looking to win for the first time in 22 starts.