Blue Jays recap: Bats fall short to the pesky Braves, lose 9-5

The Toronto Blue Jays went 6-3 on their nine-game homestand. Unfortunately, it ended with a two-game losing streak against the Atlanta Braves.

After a five-game winning streak, the Toronto Blue Jays (17-23) lost consecutive games to the pesky Atlanta Braves (15-21) at the Rogers Centre.

Marco Estrada got the start for the Blue Jays. Estrada, who threw 93 pitches in six innings, allowed five earned runs on eight hits, and five strikeouts. Jaime Garcia started for the Braves. Garcia pitched 5.1 innings, allowed three earned runs on three hits, four base of balls, and four strikeouts.

Matt Kemp tomahawked a two-run single to left field to make it 2-0 Braves in the top of the first. Kemp went 6-for-9 in the last two games against the Blue Jays. The Braves continued to swing the bats when Jace Peterson hit a RBI single to right field to make it 3-0 Braves in the top of the fourth.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays went hitless in the first three innings of the game. It wasn’t until Kevin Pillar hit a RBI double to start the rally in the bottom of the fourth that they got things going. After Justin Smoak walked, Devon Travis hammered a two-out RBI double, his eleventh of the month, to the left field wall. The Blue Jays were down 3-2.

Travis tied a Blue Jays’ record for most doubles in a month by a second baseman. Aaron Hill last hit 11 doubles in 2009.

Freddie Freeman extended the Braves lead to 5-2 in the top of the fifth with a home run to centre field on a 1-1 count. Pillar would cut the lead to 5-3 with a home run, his sixth of the season in the bottom of the fifth.

The Blue Jays continued the comeback in the bottom of the sixth. Jose Ramirez came into the game and Travis hit another double, his 12th of the month. Darwin Barney and Ezequiel Carrera would both get a RBI to tie up the game 5-5. Both Travis and Pillar went 2-for-four in the game today.

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Arodys Vizcaino and Jim Johnson would pitch for the Braves after Ramirez.

Dansby Swanson gave the Braves the lead once again after hitting a home run off of Danny Barnes. Ryan Tepera, Joe Smith, and Roberto Osuna would pitch after Barnes to complete the game for the Jays.

Kemp would put the nail in the coffin with two-run double, and Nick Markakis would hit a double to score Kemp. The Braves extended the lead to 9-5 as they swept the Blue Jays.

Ramirez (2-1) was credited with the victory and Barnes (0-1) was credited with the loss.

This home-and-home stand will head down south to Atlanta for another two-game road series at SunTrust Park. Joe Biagini (1-1, 2.28 ERA) will go against Mike Foltynewicz (1-4, 4.04 ERA) at 7:35 p.m. ET.

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