Freddie Freeman

Three Cuts: Searching for runs, Braves drop extra-inning affair to Pirates

Published Jun. 26, 2015 11:03 p.m. ET

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The Atlanta Braves scored a run in the second inning when back-to- back singles were followed by back-to-back walks. But that run (a gift from Pirates starter Francisco Liriano), and a solo home run from Juan Uribe, was the only offense Atlanta could muster.

In their last eight games, the Braves have been on a scoring drought. They've put up 15 runs since June 18 (1.9 per game), and have now lost four games in a row.

Here are three observations from Friday's 3-2 loss to Pittsburgh:

1. GOOD PITCHING MAY BEAT GOOD HITTING, BUT IT CAN'T TRUMP BAD LUCK AS PEREZ FOUND OUT THE HARD WAY

The fifth inning has been troublesome for Williams Perez over his seven starts this season. He's allowed more runs in the fifth (5) than any other frame, his 5.14 ERA at the start of the game was ugly compared to his overall 2.78 showing, and hitters are .300 with a .877 OPS.

Perez exited his start on Friday in the fifth, but it wasn't because he was pitching poorly.

With an out already recorded in the fifth and a one-run lead, Pirates third baseman Josh Harrison hit a hard grounder up the middle that ricocheted off Perez' foot and bounced almost all the way to first baseman Chris Johnson, who picked the ball up and recorded the out.

Perez laid face down on the field for a number of minutes.

After a few warmup pitches, Perez stayed in the game to face Neil Walker. Perez walked him on four straight pitches.

On a 1-0 count to Andrew McCutchen, Perez balked, sending Walker to second base. Perez threw another pitch wide of strike zone and then pegged McCutched with his third offering.

Perez missed with seven pitches in a row after the ball bounced off his foot. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez then pulled him in favor of Luis Avilan.

During those seven pitches, Perez' delivery never looked the same, especially in regard to his left foot when it made contact with the mound.

Avilan gave up two hits in relief and the Pirates scored twice (both were attributed to Perez). But prior to Perez' injury he was throwing extremely well. He'd only given up four hits and zero runs.

Perez underwent X-rays administered by the Pirates medical team. The results were negative. Perez' injury has been listed as a left foot contusion.

If the Braves need to find a replacement for Perez when the team gets to his spot in the rotation, Atlanta could look to Triple-A and pull up Manny Banuelos. In 14 starts with Gwinnett, Banuelos owns a 6-2 record with a 2.03 ERA. Batters have only hit .209 against him this season.

2. TRY TO FORGET ABOUT GRILLI'S NINTH INNING -- THE BRAVES SEEM TO HAVE FOUND A SOLID 7-8-9 COMBO FOR THE BULLPEN

Jason Grilli took his third loss of the season after Jordy Mercer pegged the right-field wall with a double to score the winning run in McCutchen. But Grilli's role as closer is not in question.

Neither should the role of Jim Johnson in the eighth inning or Nick Masset in the seventh.

Masset pitched a clean seventh inning Friday, giving up a hit and striking out a batter. The outing was his 10th straight where he hadn't allowed an earned run.

Over his last 10 games, Masset has thrown 7 2/3 innings and allowed five hits. He's struck out five and only walked one. Batters have only been able to muster a .179 average against him since June 5.

Johnson has lowered his ERA from 3.42 on June 8 to 2.48 after pitching two scoreless innings on Friday. He hurled the eighth and ninth and allowed two hits.

In his last 10 outings, Johnson has thrown 11 innings and given up nine hits and just one earned run (0.82 ERA).

If the month of June has done anything for the Braves' relief staff, it's been to solidify the back end of the bullpen.

3. JOHNSON'S ERROR AT FIRST BASE DIDN'T HURT THE BRAVES, BUT THOUGHTS OF FREEMAN SURELY AROSE WHEN IT HAPPENED

On a bang-bang play in the bottom of the ninth inning, Chris Johnson let a ball go through his glove that that Freddie Freeman would have caught in his sleep.

Fortunately for Chris Johnson, and the Braves, the error didn't hurt.

With one out in the inning, Andrelton Simmons easily snagged a laser-beam of a line drive off Josh Harrison's bat. Never letting a competitive moment get by, Simmons rifled off a throw to Chris Johnson to double off Jung Ho Kang.

Kang slid back in to first. Simmons' throw was a little up the first base line (but still catchable) but in time to nail Kang. The ball flew right past the webbing of Chris Johnson's glove and Kang advanced to second.

The inning should have been over. It was over a batter later when Kang was thrown out at third base when he overran the bag, but that error still marred the inning.

Freeman was placed on the disabled list on June 23, retroactive to June 18. Since that first game Freeman missed, there hadn't been an error at first base prior to Chris Johnson's. There haven't been a lot of hits either.

Kelly Johnson has played the most at first in Freeman's absence. He's 3 for 16 (.188) in five games with seven strikeouts. Joey Terdoslavich has played two games and has two hits in seven at-bats (.286).

Chris Johnson got his turn at first on Friday, going 1 for 4. But his error will be remembered the most, even though it didn't matter.

In eight games since Freeman was removed from the lineup, the Braves' first basemen are 6 for 27 (.222) with 10 strikeouts and zero extra-base hits. Atlanta holds a 3-5 record since June 18.