Atlanta Braves end home schedule with lopsided loss

The last Atlanta Braves home game of the 2014 season went about as well as expected. The hapless Braves were dismantled by the playoff bound Pirates by a final score of 10-1. But hey, at least we didn’t get shutout right? The pain started early with a Travis Snider homerun and the Braves and David Hale never recovered.

The Pirates attack was led by lead-off man Josh Harrison and 3-hole hitter Travis Snider. Combined, they went 6 for 9 and accounted for 4 of the Pirates 10 runs. David Hale was able pitched into the 4th inning and ended up with the final line of 4.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 BB’s, and 4 K’s. Overall, it was a solid night for the long reliever turned starter, but the bullpen let him down.

Luis Avilan came into the game struggling and his final home appearance was no different. He allowed 1 ER in the 6th and proceeded to load the bases in the 7th before Gus Schlosser threw a wild pitch and gave up the gut punch double to Starling Marte that made it a 6-0 game.Schlosser’s night didn’t get any better in the 8th as he allowed an Andrew McCutchen RBI single which was followed by a Neil Walker HR that added extra nails into the already buried Braves coffin. Avilan and Schlosser both ended the night with 4 ER’s in just 1.1 IP.

The series mercifully comes to a close with this defeat, and the Braves now take to the road for the season’s final series in Philly. Atlanta is set to throw Santana, Harang, and Alex Wood while the Phillies counter with Williams, Burnett, and Cole Hamels. The Pirates head to Cincinnati where they can set their rotation and get ready for October (errrr, November?) baseball.

Stay tuned.