Atlanta Braves bats can’t keep pace with Red Sox in 8-2 loss
With a Phillies loss to the Marlins Monday, the Braves couldn’t gain any ground in the N.L. East, losing to the Red Sox at home.
The Atlanta Braves (76-61) couldn’t move runners across the plate in an 8-2 loss to Boston on Labor Day, leaving the team with a still comfortable four run lead in the division.
Rookie Touki Toussaint took the mount for the Braves in his second career start, against one of the best offensive lineups in all of baseball.
The 22-year-old kept Boston at bay through four innings, but ran into trouble in the fifth when Ian Kinsler, Christian Vasquez and Mookie Betts all drove across a run apiece to give the Red Sox a 3-0 lead.
Toussaint left after throwing 4.2 innings, giving up three runs on four hits. He stuck out six and walked three batters in the loss. He moves to 1-1 on the season.
“I was staying in the moment and didn’t look back. I had to keep making pitches.”
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) September 3, 2018
— Touki Toussaint reacts to his start and how it felt to face a tough Red Sox lineup. #Braves | #ChopOn pic.twitter.com/zt3glYMYv1
Atlanta got a solo homer from Ozzie Albies to lead off the 6th – his lone hit of the day – leaving the Braves down two runs at 3-1.
Kurt Suzuki drove in Ender Inciarte in the seventh, bringing Atlanta to within a run, but that would be all the scoring the Braves offense could muster.
Boston scored two more in the a pair of runs in the eighth inning and three more in the ninth to put the game safely out of reach.
Atlanta ran five relief pitchers out to the mound in the game, but couldn’t find an answer for Boston’s bats. Jesse Biddle and Bryse Wilson gave up the runs for the pen Monday, with two for Biddle and three for Wilson.
Ronald Acuna had an 0-for-5 day for Atlanta, striking out three times – the first time he’s K’d more than once in any game since August 8th and the first time he’s struck out 3 times in nearly a month. Perhaps the Boston game plan was to neutralize Acuna. Whether that was the direct case or not – their approach worked.
The Braves went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position, leaving a total of 13 on base in a game that saw Atlanta rack up eight hits.
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Atlanta and Boston get back to action Tuesday night from SunTrust Park in a game set for 7:35 p.m. ET.