Atlanta Braves fall 2-1 to Arizona Diamondbacks on June 4, 2025, extending losing streak. Merrill Kelly dominates, Chris Sale pitches well. Offense struggles.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
Another night, another frustrating offensive performance for our Atlanta Braves. The team dropped its third straight game on Wednesday, falling 2-1 to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a contest where the bats simply couldn't get going. This loss marks the 10th in our last 13 games, and the alarm bells are ringing louder than ever about this prolonged slump.
Just five runs scored during this three-game losing streak. The Braves' offense is in a deep freeze.
It was a tough watch, folks. Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly was lights out, holding the Braves to a measly one hit over seven shutout innings while fanning eight. Our bats were practically invisible until the ninth inning. Down to their final outs, a glimmer of hope appeared as Arizona reliever Justin Martinez struggled with control, walking three and hitting a batter to force in our only run. But with the bases loaded and a chance to tie or take the lead, Michael Harris II struck out to end the game. It's the same old story recently: great pitching can only keep you in it for so long if the offense doesn't show up. This continues a worrying trend, as the team has now lost 10 of its last 13, with the offense failing to generate consistent production even with Ronald Acuña Jr. back in the lineup.
While the offense sputtered, Chris Sale was dealing. Our ace lefty put on a clinic, striking out 10 Diamondbacks over six strong innings, allowing just one run on three hits. It was a vintage Sale performance, and despite the loss, he etched his name further into the MLB record books. This was Sale's 90th career game with double-digit strikeouts! He also surpassed Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson for 39th place on the all-time strikeout list, now with 2,510 K's. It's a shame such a dominant outing couldn't be rewarded with a win, but it's a testament to Sale's enduring quality.
Adding to a tough night, reliever Daysbel Hernández had to leave the game in the eighth inning with an apparent injury to his pitching hand. He was facing his fourth batter of the inning when the issue arose. Before departing, Hernández had recorded one strikeout but also issued two walks. We're still awaiting an official update on the severity, but any potential loss from the bullpen is concerning, especially with the team trying to find its footing. Fingers crossed it's nothing serious.
The Braves will look to salvage the series finale and, more importantly, snap this ugly three-game losing streak on Thursday. Right-hander Grant Holmes (3-4, 3.78 ERA) gets the ball, tasked with playing stopper. He'll be up against Arizona's Brandon Pfaadt (7-4, 5.05 ERA). This is a crucial game, not just to avoid a sweep, but to inject some much-needed momentum and confidence back into this ballclub. The offense *has* to find a spark.
It's a tough stretch, Braves Country, no doubt about it. The pitching, led by Sale's effort, is often giving us a chance, but the bats need to wake up, and fast. Let's hope Holmes can deliver a strong start and the offense can finally break out on Thursday. We desperately need a W. Chop On!
