The Braves lost their 5th straight on July 6, falling 9-6 to the Orioles. Despite homers from Riley & Olson, a 10th-inning collapse sealed their fate.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was a familiar, sinking feeling at Truist Park on Sunday. A game that felt within reach, a game where the offense finally showed up, ultimately ended in another gut-wrenching loss. The Braves fell 9-6 to the Baltimore Orioles in 10 innings, marking their fifth consecutive defeat and pushing their record to a dismal 39-50. For a team that once expected to compete, the question is no longer when the bleeding will stop, but if it even can.
The Braves are now 28-5 when scoring five or more runs, a statistic that makes Sunday's 9-6 loss sting even more.
The offense did its part. Austin Riley smashed a two-run homer in the first and Matt Olson added a solo shot as part of a three-hit day. But the good vibes couldn't last. After clawing back to tie the game, the bullpen finally buckled in the 10th. Rafael Montero couldn't hold the line, surrendering a go-ahead double to Ramón Laureano, followed by a two-run double from Jacob Stallings that put the game out of reach for good. It was a classic case of the pitching staff being unable to reward a solid offensive effort.
The real story of the day began before the first pitch. With the starting rotation completely decimated by injuries to Chris Sale, Reynaldo López, Spencer Schwellenbach, and AJ Smith-Shawver, the Braves were forced into a bullpen game. Veteran reliever Aaron Bummer made his first career start after 374 appearances out of the 'pen. The experiment started brilliantly, as Bummer struck out five of the first six Orioles he faced. But the magic ran out in the third, when Baltimore tagged him for three runs. It was a stark reminder that stopgap measures can only get you so far.
The front office isn't sitting idle, but the recent roster moves feel more like shuffling deck chairs on a sinking ship. This week saw the activation of Jurickson Profar from his suspension, a move that resulted in the DFA of a struggling Alex Verdugo. This follows last month's decision to part ways with franchise legend Craig Kimbrel after an inconsistent return, bringing up lefty Austin Cox. While the team is clearly trying to find a spark, these moves underscore the larger issues of underperformance and a crippling injury bug that no single transaction can fix.
At 39-50 and riding a five-game losing streak, the Braves are at a crossroads. The playoff picture looks less like a goal and more like a fantasy. With the trade deadline looming, the front office faces immense pressure to decide the direction of this franchise. Do they make a desperate move for pitching, or do they begin to sell off pieces and look toward 2026? One thing is certain: the current path is unsustainable, and hard decisions are coming soon.
