The Atlanta Braves saw their winning streak come to a screeching halt on Monday night in Seattle, falling 5-4 to the Mariners in a game that had all the makings of a blowout victory—until a pivotal sixth inning turned the tide.
Despite launching four solo home runs and building a commanding 4-0 lead, the Braves couldn't hold on, thanks largely to a questionable managerial decision that left fans scratching their heads. With the score still 4-0 in the sixth, starter JR Ritchie was clearly running on fumes. The young right-hander had struggled with command all night, yet he was sent back to the mound for another inning. After issuing back-to-back walks, Ritchie remained in the game—and promptly served up a hanging slider that Luke Raley crushed for a three-run homer, cutting the lead to 4-3.
Reliever Tyler Kinley entered and nearly escaped the inning, but with two outs and two strikes, JP Crawford delivered a dagger: a two-run homer that gave Seattle a sudden 5-4 lead, silencing the Braves' dugout.
Offensively, Atlanta had plenty of firepower. Drake Baldwin kicked things off with a leadoff homer, and the Braves' bats stayed hot in the sixth with back-to-back solo shots from Ozzie Albies and Matt Olson, followed by a rocket from Austin Riley two batters later. They peppered Mariners ace Logan Gilbert with line drives all night but were undone by some tough luck on batted balls—what could have been a bigger offensive outburst ended up as just four solo homers.
For Ritchie, it was a night to forget. Pitching in front of hundreds of friends and family, he walked six batters and allowed four hits over 5+ innings, striking out only two. The question now: does he get another start this weekend against the mighty Dodgers, or do the Braves turn to Martin Perez or Didier Fuentes?
The series continues Tuesday night at 9:40 p.m. ET, with Bryce Elder set to face Seattle's George Kirby—a tough test for a Braves team looking to bounce back. For fans watching at home, it's the kind of game that reminds you why baseball's unpredictability keeps us all coming back for more.