Tantalizingly close to .500, Braves' goal remains elusive

ATLANTA -- The Braves want to become the first MLB team to reach the postseason after beginning a regular season with seven straight losses. But for now, they are dealing with the maddening challenge of attempting to become just the fifth team to even reach the .500 mark after starting 0-7.

“It’s hard, because you fight so hard from where we started, and we’re digging ourselves out of that hole and you’d love to get there, get on a little run and get over,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “The guys are busting their tails, and we’re winning some tough games.”

But over the past 10 days, Snitker’s bunch has also lost a couple of seemingly winnable games after moving one win away from feeling the satisfaction of evening their record.

The latest occasion was a 3-2 loss to the Pirates on Friday night at PNC Park. Pittsburgh snapped a seven-game skid with the help of Bailey Falter, who lowered his ERA from 5.06 to 4.36 with six scoreless innings.

This result was similar to the one on April 30, when the Braves’ chance to move to .500 was erased with a 2-1 loss to the Rockies, who are on pace for 25 wins this year. Chris Sale notched 10 strikeouts while Atlanta’s offense totaled three hits that day at Coors Field. That matched a 2-1 loss on April 7, 2008, for the fewest hits the Braves have notched in 113 games at the offensive haven.

Anything can happen on any given night in the baseball world. And Atlanta aspires to do much more than just reach the .500 mark. But that doesn’t erase the frustration of losses influenced by meager offensive performances.

“We’d like to get over that .500 hump and start getting on the winning side of things,” Braves first baseman Matt Olson said on Friday. “It was definitely not a good offensive performance from us tonight.”

Falter allowed just two hits: Austin Riley’s first-inning single and Nick Allen’s two-out single in the fifth. The Braves were held scoreless until Eli White tripled to lead off the ninth and came home on a Michael Harris II sacrifice fly. Drake Baldwin contributed a pinch-hit RBI single later in the inning. But it didn’t feel like Atlanta’s bats were ready.

Speaking of this, Alex Verdugo was hit with a pitch-clock violation before he even exited the dugout for his pinch-hit appearance in the seventh with Harris on first and two outs. Verdugo had been told to pinch-hit for Stuart Fairchild but to allow him to remain in the batter’s box with the hope the Pirates would stick with right-handed reliever Chase Shugart.

With Shugart still on the mound and Fairchild expecting Verdugo to come to the plate, the pitch clock began without a Braves hitter near the box. Once it was clear Verdugo was hitting, the Pirates countered with left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson, who had an 0-1 count before throwing his first pitch to Verdugo, who eventually struck out.

“That’s probably my fault,” Snitker said. “I told him to let Stu go on deck, and then I couldn’t find [Verdugo]. I’ll be honest, I thought the clock changed when you’re making a change like that.”

The Braves have changed their direction while matching the Mets (13-7) for the National League’s best record since April 18. They could get Spencer Strider (right hamstring strain) back in their rotation as early as next week, and Ronald Acuña Jr. (torn left ACL) could rejoin the lineup by the end of May.

If Atlanta wins the final two games of this series in Pittsburgh, it will reach that .500 mark. But having completed nearly a quarter of the season without a winning streak longer than four games, this is a club that is more focused on enjoying a sustained run of success.

“It would be nice to get this thing rolling and not have to sweat it out so much,” Olson said.