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Associated Press
a day ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
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:
New York Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Rockies' loss to Phillies gives Colorado MLB's worst record through 50 games since 1901
The Colorado Rockies lost 2-0 to the Philadelphia Phillies to continue what has been a historically bad start to the 2025 season. The loss dropped the franchise to 8-42 this year, which is the worst record any team has posted through 50 games in the MLB's modern era. The Rockies' 42 losses eclipsed the previous record of 41 set by the 1904 Washington Senators (now known as the Minnesota Twins). Advertisement The record-breaking defeat wrapped up a series sweep for the National League-leading Phillies and extended the Rockies' current losing streak to five games. Colorado starter Germán Márquez (1-7) had one of his better outings of the season, allowing just one earned run on four hits through seven innings. Not much has worked for Colorado this year. The Rockies pitching staff came into Thursday's game with the league's highest ERA (5.92), and their lineup owns the third-lowest OPS (.648) in baseball. Adding injury to insult, the team announced its pitching staff's wins leader (with two), Chase Dollander, was placed on the 15-day injured list with right forearm tightness Thursday. The 23-year-old and first-round pick came into the season as the Rockies' second-highest-ranked prospect in Keith Law's rankings. (Photo of Brenton Doyle: Justin Edmonds / Getty Images)
BBC News
20-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Sherratt aims to lift Wales' losing burden in Japan
Interim boss Matt Sherratt is hoping a Test win in Japan in July will ensure Wales' new permanent head coach is not saddled by the squad's record losing ended their Six Nations campaign in March with a record 68-14 home loss to England that represented a 17th successive Test will again fill the caretaker role he adopted during the Six Nations and lead Wales against Japan in Kitakyushu on 5 July and Kobe seven days will return to Cardiff and make way for the new appointment, but says victory and not development is what matters against Eddie Jones' Japan."The development angle should be left to the next guy coming in," said Sherratt. "Probably a big part of doing it when I was asked a couple of weeks ago, was laying a foundation for the next guy coming in."I don't think it's our job as coaches to look at the big picture. We'll be in camp for six or seven weeks and it's a short tour."With the world rankings and Japan being one place behind, it's about going there and trying to get a result."The last time Wales tasted victory was against Georgia in October 2023, and that losing run has seen the team slip to a record low of 12th in the world Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) director of rugby Dave Reddin is leading the search for a new permanent head coach to replace Warren Gatland, who resigned in February."I would love for the next guy to look at the team, think there's something to build on and not have that losing record around their neck," Sherratt added. Avoiding another Welsh rugby crisis Players will start preparing for Wales' tour next week amid the backdrop of the latest crisis to hit Welsh rugby between the WRU and its professional sides, with Ospreys and Scarlets in a dispute with the governing body about unequal funding WRU made the announcement it was reverting to a two-tier funding model amid reports it intends to cut a professional team, although it has neither confirmed nor denied if reducing the amount of sides from four to three is part of its says this recent turmoil had not deterred him from again accepting the caretaker role after he had taken charge for the final three games of the Six Nations."I've been in this job long enough, I just concentrate on the rugby," said Sherratt. "I love coaching, that's my motivation."I'll let other people who are way above my pay grade worry about the future of the regions and the national game. "It's probably bigger news outside of an environment than it is inside. I'm sure in the background, after the tour, that may be an issue."As soon as you come into an international camp, you are a bit cocooned. The players are busy focusing on playing and training, so all the big-picture stuff seems to go away." There is more harmony between the coaches with Sherratt saying he sought advice from the other regional Wales bosses when selecting the squad, even sounding out some to join his backroom team."I thought it was important I spoke to the WRU about having some other regional coaches involved, but unfortunately they were not all able to do it for various reasons," said Sherratt."They've been involved, not directly, with selection and been more than helpful to me."The 33-man squad Sherratt came up with includes Ospreys hooker Dewi Lake as captain with Jac Morgan away with the British and Irish are six uncapped players in Keelan Giles, Macs Page, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Liam Belcher, Chris Coleman and Garyn captain Dafydd Jenkins will undergo surgery and misses out, along with Scarlets prop Henry Thomas, who the WRU says will seek specialist opinion on a long-term condition, while Gloucester centre Max Llewellyn is also Adam Beard and Will Rowlands have been rested, while notable absentees from the squad includes Gloucester fly-half Gareth Anscombe, Saracens centre Nick Tompkins, Scarlets wing Ellis Mee and Cardiff flanker James Botham with uncapped Ospreys number eight also missing Sam Costelow, prop Archie Griffin and lock Ben Carter return after missing the Six Nations through injury. New backroom boys Sherratt will have a new team of assistant coaches alongside him in Harlequins head coach Danny Wilson and the Premiership club's scrum specialist Adam Jones, in addition to Gloucester's Rhys Thomas and former Wales prop Gethin and Thomas worked alongside Sherratt during the Six Nations and - together with interim forwards coach Wilson - are on secondment from their Premiership clubs, while defence coach Jenkins has been released by WRU-owned Cardiff."There's a big change happening at the moment with the system," said Sherratt."The WRU were clear they wanted to take an interim staff. As soon as they said that, it was important - with the limited time - that we'd worked together before. "It's a familiar staff. Having staff harmony rubs off on the players. It's important I had people I know and trust."Wales will consider adding a kicking coach at a later date, with Leigh Halfpenny linked with a role that Neil Jenkins has filled for almost 20 Humphreys and Mike Forshaw, who were part of Gatland's coaching staff throughout his second spell in charge, will not be involved this summer, while Rob Howley and Alex King are also again detail have been provided about their futures, with Sherratt saying their fate will be decided by others."That's for the next coach to make that decision, as well as the top of the WRU," Sherratt added."That wasn't something I was comfortable with getting involved in."
BBC News
10-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
St Johnstone 2-1 Ross County: Analysis
Only once before have Ross County lost seven in a row in the top flight. What a horrendous time to equal that were second best in Perth and their momentum is going in the wrong now, County surely would take a play-off, something they have come through in each of the past two seasons. However, they seem to be lacking something, especially goal threat.
