The Atlanta Braves endured what could be the most embarrassing defeat of the Brian Snitker era on Thursday, blowing a six-run lead in the ninth inning to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a shocking 11–10 loss at Truist Park. The bullpen collapse was historic, ending a 766-game streak of wins when leading by six or more runs after eight innings.
The collapse began when Scott Blewett gave up a home run, followed by a walk and a two-run homer in quick succession. Raisel Iglesias entered with one out and a three-run lead but faltered, allowing four hits—including a two-run double by Eugenio Suárez—completing one of the worst late-inning collapses in Braves history. This marked Iglesias’ fourth blown save of the season, raising his ERA to 6.75.
After the loss, Braves manager Brian Snitker didn’t mince words. Speaking to The Athletic’s David O’Brien, he captured the team’s frustration: “It’s a really, really hard loss. We’re not playing well. We’re not executing. You’re six runs up in the ninth, you expect to win the game, but we didn’t. You have to do your job, and we have to play better. It’s a horrible loss, and now we have to sit on it for five hours on an airplane. We’re all going to be miserable, and we should be. We didn’t execute, we didn’t put the game away, and we have to do that.”
Despite offensive highlights from Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley, and rookie Drake Baldwin, who all hit home runs, the victory slipped away. Marcell Ozuna ended the game by grounding into a double play, drawing boos from the crowd. Even with 12 hits and eight extra-base hits, the game finished in infamy.
This dramatic meltdown against the Diamondbacks has intensified calls for changes in the Braves’ front office. With the team seven games below .500 and 11 games behind the New York Mets, this loss could force Atlanta to rethink its bullpen strategy—and possibly its leadership altogether.
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