On a night Tyler Mahle impressed in his Braves debut, the veteran starter’s new bullpen stumbled as Atlanta’s eight-game winning streak ended in a 3-2 walk-off loss to the New York Yankees.
After inheriting a 2-0 lead, All-Star closer Raisel Iglesias blew a save in the bottom of the ninth, allowing multiple runs for the second consecutive appearance. The Braves failed to drive in an automatic runner in the 10th before the Yankees succeeded, with Ryan McMahon delivering a bases-loaded sacrifice fly against Tyler Kinley.
Since July 3, Iglesias has a 6.75 ERA over 14 appearances. All three of his blown saves have come in that span.
The late-game letdown spoiled a strong introduction. Acquired from the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, Mahle dueled former Braves star Max Fried to a draw over six scoreless innings. (Fried was making his first start against his old team.) Among pitchers who had reached the majors before joining Atlanta, Mahle’s nine strikeouts were the most in a Braves debut since David Palmer struck out 10 batters in 1986.
Previously a glaring weakness, the Braves’ rotation has held up in recent weeks. Atlanta starters have allowed no more than three runs in 16 consecutive games, combining for a 2.02 ERA over that span. Mahle had a 5.13 ERA with the Giants this season, but he demonstrated, at least for a night, that he could be a useful addition amid a playoff race.
On Friday at Yankee Stadium, neither team scored until Austin Riley launched an eighth-inning solo shot into the left-field seats. Since the All-Star break, Riley has hit .292 with five home runs in 20 games. The third baseman, in the fourth season of a 10-year, $212 million contract extension, had spent most of the first half mired in a career-worst slump; before the break, Riley batted .207 with nine home runs in 95 games.
Braves first baseman Matt Olson supplied a home run in the top of the ninth. It proved to be insufficient insurance. With one out in the bottom of the inning, Iglesias committed a costly throwing error on a tapper toward the third-base line, allowing Yankees rookie George Lombard Jr. to advance all the way to third on an infield single. Iglesias struck out McMahon, but gave up a walk between RBI hits and a hit-by-pitch before being lifted.
Because the Philadelphia Phillies also lost Friday, the Braves retained an 8 1/2-game lead in the National League East, as well as the second-best record in the major leagues.
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