The simple truth is that in that moment, Sunday must have been a devastating experience for the Braves.
After coming off their best offensive output of the season and on the brink of a series win, the Braves' relief pitchers struggled, allowing seven runs in the eighth inning as Atlanta lost 9-8 to the Rockies on Sunday. This was perhaps their worst loss of the season, and the collapse of the relief corps is a bit more concerning than it has been in the past due to the recent struggles of Atlanta's relief corps. Overall, the term “rock bottom” continues to be redefined for this team and this season.
After an embarrassing three-game losing streak to the Brewers and then a series loss to the Rockies, this was one of the Braves' worst weeks in recent memory. Additionally, recent struggles by the Phillies and Mets cost Atlanta a golden opportunity to bolster its NL playoff prospects and its position in the NL East.
But with other teams struggling as well, there remains a small ray of hope: The Braves were out of the playoff picture as of Saturday, but remain a possibility as of Monday.
This does not diminish how disappointing Sunday's loss was, or how significant the missed opportunities over the past few weeks were.
But what's more important than Sunday's loss is how the Braves respond to it, because they now have a four-game series against the Giants, who are 1.5 games out of the final National League wild card spot, which the Braves hold. Plus, Atlanta will face left-handed pitchers in three straight games to start the series, and their offense is much better against them than it is against right-handed pitchers. If Atlanta can use Sunday as motivation to get back to more consistency, a few wins early in the week could help minimize the long-term impact of yesterday.
Braves News
Michael Harris II continues to perform well during his rehab assignment with the Stripers. If all goes well, Harris II could join the Braves during his stint in San Francisco.
Eddie Rosario opted for free agency instead of going to the Stripers after being named a designated player over the weekend.
Justin Toscano talks about how the Braves are trying to bounce back after another rare and very disappointing loss.
Mark Bowman of mlb.com detailed how the Braves' situation quickly went from hopeful to dire in the eighth inning.
MLB News
MLB.com's latest power rankings are out and the Braves are currently ranked 13th.
The Phillies' losses to the Diamondbacks and the Mets' losses to the Mariners underscored how the top of the NL East has struggled in recent weeks.
Dodgers rookie River Ryan is out for the season with a UCL injury in his elbow.
Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran apologized for an unfortunate incident with a fan on Sunday.
Red Sox pitcher James Paxton left Sunday's start with a calf injury and is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday for further evaluation.
Mariners guard Julio Rodriguez was activated from the 10-day disabled list on Monday after missing the last few weeks with an ankle injury.
