Braves Lose Fifth Straight Game to Pirates in Walk-Off

The Atlanta Braves suffered a narrow 4-3 walk-off loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, marking their third one-run loss in the past five games and preventing them from reaching a .500 record. Despite a strong pitching performance by Pirates starter Carmen Mlodzinski, who threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings, the Braves' offense struggled throughout the series, hitting just .194 with one home run and failing to provide adequate run support. Sean Murphy's three-run double in the eighth inning briefly tied the game, but the Pirates rallied in the ninth with a walk-off RBI by Joey Bart. Braves manager Brian Snitker expressed frustration over the team's offensive shortcomings, which have been exacerbated by the absence of 2023 NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. due to injury. The Braves remain 19-21, while the Pirates improved to 14-27, despite their recent managerial change.