Atlanta's season is starting to slip away after another 7-game losing streak
Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year]
One seven-game losing streak was manageable for Atlanta — a possible fluke at the start of the season.
But now the Braves have dropped seven in a row again, and it's time to wonder if this will simply be a lost season for one of the game's star-studded teams.
Sunday's 4-3 defeat at San Francisco dropped Atlanta to 10 games under .500 and 9 1/2 games behind the National League's final playoff spot. The Braves haven't missed the postseason since 2017 — and it's too early to count them out this year — but they can't afford to have much more go wrong.
Atlanta started the season 0-7, then spent about six weeks clawing its way back to .500. All that work has already been undone after the Braves dropped another seven straight this past week. The last five of those defeats were by one run, including a ghastly collapse at home against Arizona on Thursday in which the Diamondbacks scored seven runs in the ninth to win 11-10.
After that, Atlanta called up reliever Craig Kimbrel from the minors — the franchise saves leader returned to the Braves for the first time since they traded him before the 2015 season. He pitched once, then was designated for assignment.
Atlanta overcame injuries to Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider to make the playoffs a year ago. Those two are back now, but while Acuña is hitting well, Strider has lost all five of his starts on the mound. The Braves are also one of only three teams in baseball with more blown saves (12) than saves (10).
There are some reasons for Atlanta to keep hope alive. A big problem so far has been the team's 9-19 record in one-run games, which suggests the Braves don't need to improve much to turn things around. They actually have a positive run differential on the season. But the NL East may already be out of reach, with Atlanta trailing the first-place New York Mets by 14 games.
Right now the Braves are in fourth, as close to last-place Miami as they are to third-place Washington. Trivia time
Pete Alonso of the Mets needs 10 more homers to surpass Darryl Strawberry for the franchise's career lead. Only three active players currently hold the home run record for a major league franchise. Name the players, and the teams they hold the career lead in homers for. Line of the week
Seattle's George Kirby struck out 14 and allowed just two hits in seven innings in a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. That snapped a five-game skid for the Mariners, who could use a more effective Kirby.
The right-hander is 1-3 with a 6.53 ERA in four starts after missing the start of the season because of shoulder issues. Perhaps this performance was a sign that he's righting the ship. Comeback of the week
This is obviously the Diamondbacks, who according to Baseball Savant faced a win probability of 0.1% after their leadoff hitter in the ninth struck out. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a solo homer, Alek Thomas added a two-run shot and Katel Marte produced an RBI single before the second out of the inning. Then Ildemaro Vargas hit an RBI single, and Eugenio Suárez's two-run double put Arizona ahead.
Five other teams have come back to win after trailing by six this year, but none of those six-run deficits were later than the seventh inning. Trivia answer
Mike Trout holds the Angels' record with 388 home runs. Giancarlo Stanton, now with the Yankees, is the Marlins' leader with 267. Manny Machado has the Padres' record of 177.
(Evan Longoria holds the Rays' record with 261, but he hasn't played in the majors since 2023 and signed a one-day contract Saturday to retire with Tampa Bay.)
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CBS News
30 minutes ago
- CBS News
Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier earns 2nd Player of the Week award this season
Minnesota Lynx superstar Napheesa Collier has earned her second Western Conference Player of the Week award this season, adding another accolade to her MVP-level year. Collier's latest honor covers two Lynx games, during which she averaged 23 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2 steals and 1.5 blocks. She logged a double-double in each game. The 28-year-old forward was named the West's Player of the Week for the first four games of the season and Player of the Month for May. Collier leads the WNBA this season in points per game (25.5), steals per game (2.2), player efficiency rating (32.1) and win shares (2.4). Her play has the Lynx off to a 9-0 start, matching how the Lynx began their last championship season in 2017. Last season, Collier finished second in MVP voting behind the Las Vegas Aces' A'ja Wilson. She's having another stellar season for the Aces, but if Collier continues at her current level of play, it'll be hard for voters to deny her the first MVP award of her career. Collier also made the All-WNBA First Team last year and was named Defensive Player of the Year amid the Lynx's surprising but ultimately unavailing run to the WNBA Finals. She also won a gold medal with Team USA at the Summer Olympics. Since then, she's had a productive offseason. She was named the MVP of Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 basketball league she co-founded, and TIME magazine listed her among its 100 Most Influential People.


New York Times
35 minutes ago
- New York Times
Lee Corso's final ‘College GameDay' to come at Ohio State in Week 1
Lee Corso's final mascot headgear pick for 'College GameDay' will come at Ohio State, where it all began. ESPN's flagship college football show will go to Columbus, Ohio, in Week 1, where the Buckeyes will face Texas in what is expected to be a top-five matchup. ESPN said in April that the 89-year-old Corso would retire after Week 1 of the upcoming season, giving him a celebratory sendoff, but it did not name the location. There was some speculation the show could go to the Florida State-Alabama game, as Corso played at FSU in the 1950s alongside actor Burt Reynolds (and because Ohio State-Texas will be broadcast on Fox). 📍 Week 1: Columbus, OH We're kicking off College GameDay with a trip to Texas-Ohio State, as we celebrate Lee Corso's final show back where he first made headgear history! 🤩 — College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) June 10, 2025 But the show will send Corso off where the headgear picks began. While Corso has been on the show since its inception in 1987, his first mascot pick came at Ohio State in 1996 for the Buckeyes' game against Penn State. Corso has made 430 headgear picks, from Buckeyes to animals to helmets to full-on costumes. He's correctly picked 66.5 percent of those choices, according to ESPN, including a perfect 11-0 in 1999. Brutus Buckeye has been the most popular pick, chosen 45 times, with Alabama just behind at 38. 'When it was our game, I was always hoping he didn't pick us,' Nick Saban said in April, 'because I knew the players were watching and I wanted reverse rat poison.' Coach Lee Corso by the numbers 🤯 🐻 430 mascot headgear picks🏈 66.5% win rate of picks all-time🏆 Perfect season = 1999 More on LC's 38 years on @CollegeGameDay: — ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) April 17, 2025 'My family and I will be forever indebted for the opportunity to be part of ESPN and 'College GameDay' for nearly 40 years,' Corso said in a news release in April. 'I have a treasure of many friends, fond memories and some unusual experiences to take with me into retirement.'


CBS News
35 minutes ago
- CBS News
Sacramento Railyards soccer stadium plan faces key city council vote
A key Sacramento city council vote deciding the future of Republic FC's new soccer stadium is set for Tuesday. Plans for Republic FC's new home, an expandable 12,000-seat facility, can't come to life without figuring out how to cover infrastructure in the area – things like roadways, pedestrian bike lanes, and traffic lights that the city estimates will to cost north of $90 million. Tuesday's vote will be to approve a special tax district that the city is looking to use to cover the cost. "I think this one is a good investment. We're not investing, subsidizing the stadium," said Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty. The Railyards development will cost an estimated $321 million at least, according to city numbers, with most of it privately funded, like Republic FC's stadium and the area around it. Developers of the project – including Indomitable Ventures, formed by Republic FC – would pay for the infrastructure costs up front, then be reimbursed through funds generated by the special tax district. "We're subsidizing the infrastructure by giving a return on property taxes that but for this project wouldn't be generated anyways," McCarty said. If approved by the council, the deal would commit the city to paying more than $90 million to the project developers in the form of future tax revenue from the soccer stadium and central shops. McCarty says construction would start this year if the plan passes. The stadium is planned to be opened by 2027.