'All of the sudden the roof caved in': Braves frustrated in loss

DENVER -- Luke Jackson held his phone in one hand while staring into his locker. Like the rest of his Braves teammates, the veteran reliever dealt with the disbelief created by the worst loss of a frustration-filled season.

“This is a crappy loss and one that stings a lot,” Jackson said. “But these are the ones that fuel the fire. I know I’m better than that.”

This had the makings to be a satisfying win. Jorge Soler tallied two of Atlanta’s four homers and starter Spencer Schwellenbach provided six strong innings. All looked good until a six-run, eighth-inning lead suddenly disappeared in a 9-8 loss to the Rockies on Sunday afternoon at Coors Field.

“It’s tough to swallow,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “It’s a tough one. That was even weird for [Coors Field]. We were one out away from getting out of the eighth, and then all of the sudden the roof caved in.”

Just as the Braves were trying to fight their way out of the mess the past few weeks have been, a potential knockout punch buried them. They snapped a six-game losing streak on Saturday night and hit 11 homers while totaling 24 runs during this three-game series.

That’s more homers than they have hit in any series this year, four-game sets included. This is the second-most runs they’ve scored in any 2024 series, trailing only the 25 runs scored in the season-opening series in Philadelphia.

But what matters most is that Atlanta lost two of three and wasted a prime opportunity to strengthen its weakening postseason bid. They entered the day with a half-game lead over the Mets in the battle for the NL’s final Wild Card spot.

“It’s a horrible loss,” Snitker said. “But I guess I’m the eternal optimist because I believe there is still a lot of time for us to do a lot of really good because Michael [Harris II] is looming, Ozzie [Albies] is healing, and we’ll get Reynaldo [López] back. This could be a faint memory here.”

Even if the Braves win the World Series, they will still remember this nightmare on Blake Street. It’s the first time they have lost when leading by six runs or more in the eighth since they blew a big lead against the Red Sox on Sept. 5, 2018. The only other time the Rockies overcame a six-run deficit in the eighth inning or later and won was against the Cardinals on July 6, 2010.

“You’ve got to fight through this,” Snitker said. “It’s the hard part of this game. You’ve got to turn the page, come out and figure out a way to win tomorrow. It’s no fun doing this.”

When Soler homered in the seventh and eighth innings to give the Braves an 8-2 lead, Joe Jiménez had no reason to think he might soon be needed. But Jackson allowed Jake Cave’s opposite-field, two-run homer with one out and then gave up two straight two-out hits before Jiménez entered with runners at second and third.

“I’d have probably lost my house if [you’d have said] I’d bring him in and he couldn’t get an out,” Snitker said.

Jiménez entered the game, allowing just one run and six hits over nine innings since the All-Star break. The veteran reliever allowed the Rockies four hits within the first six pitches he threw.

Charlie Blackmon capped his four-hit game by greeting Jiménez with a two-run single that cut the Braves lead to two. Ezequiel Tovar followed with a single. Ryan McMahon tallied a RBI single against a first-pitch fastball and Brendan Rogers, who struck out to begin the inning, drilled a game-winning double against a first-pitch slider.

“I thought I made good pitches,” Jiménez said. “It’s one of those things where the bat finds the ball and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Jiménez will continue to be one of Atlanta’s top high-leverage options. Jackson’s future with the club isn’t as certain. He has allowed six earned runs and 10 hits in just 5 2/3 innings since being acquired from the Giants on July 29.

With López set to come off the injured list, possibly as early as Saturday, Jackson could be the odd man out. But it’s not like he was the focus of the trade.

Jackson was the additional piece in the deal that brought Soler back to Atlanta. The veteran slugger’s defense remains a concern in right field. But he has compensated for those shortcomings while going 9-for-20 with four homers and a double over his past five games.