Braves Head Home as Only Winless Team in the Majors
ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves’ longest winless start since 2016 has left manager Brian Snitker desperate for a recovery he hopes begins with the team’s home opener against Miami on Friday night.
Atlanta blew a 5-0 lead and lost 6-5 on Shohei Ohtani’s ninth-inning homer on Wednesday night. The loss left the Braves 0-7 for their worst start since their 0-9 opening in 2016, when they finished last in the NL East.
The Braves are the only team in the majors still looking for their first win, and the pain of the woeful start has been made worse by losing two players. Left fielder Jurickson Profar, the team’s leadoff hitter and top offseason addition, was suspended for 80 games for performance-enhancing drug use. Right-hander Reynaldo López was placed on the 15-day injured list because of an inflamed right shoulder.
Snitker, who has enjoyed a run of seven consecutive postseasons, including the 2021 World Series championship, and six straight NL East titles, didn’t try to hide the pain of the latest loss.
“I wouldn’t wish this on anybody honestly, you know, in a competitive arena,” Snitker told reporters. “And what we’re going through is tough. Very tough.”
The Braves were swept by San Diego in four games to open the season before three straight losses in Los Angeles.
A lack of hitting was the glaring weakness for most of the devastating road trip. After scoring only nine runs in their first six games combined, the Braves appeared to break out of their funk by taking an early 5-0 lead on Wednesday night. They failed to score after loading the bases with no outs in the sixth. Closer Raisel Iglesias gave up Ohtani’s tiebreaking homer in the ninth.