Outside of the third inning, the Braves failed to get much going offensively against the Pirates, losing their seventh straight game in a 6-3 loss.
In his second start of the spring, Jaime Garcia struggled a bit with command, giving up two runs, three hits and two walks in three innings of work. He did generate some swings and misses, though, striking out four batters.
The Pirates struck quickly in the first inning. Adam Frazier led off with a double, and Austin Meadows followed him up two batters later with a home run to left field to take an early 2-0 lead.
In the top of the the third, Atlanta bounced back to take a lead. Braxton Davidson led off with a walk and advanced to third on Jace Peterson’s single to right field. After Emilio Bonifacio struck out, Davidson scored on Brandon Phillip’s groundout. Adonis Garcia singled up the middle to bring home Peterson, and Anthony Recker doubled to right field to bring around Garcia for the third run of the inning, which would be all the Braves managed on Tuesday.
After two innings of good work from Matt Wisler, he found some problems in the bottom of the sixth inning with a 3-2 Braves lead. Jose Osuna lined a one-out homer to left field to tie the game at 3-apiece. Jacob Stallings followed him up with a double, and a Max Moroff walk and Chris Bostick single brought Stallings home and put runners on the corners with one out. That ended Wisler’s afternoon. Facing Adam Kolarek, Eury Perez executed a squeeze bunt to give the Pirates a 5-3 lead.
Pittsburgh got an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh with Jim Johnson on the mound. With two outs and a runner on third, Johan Camargo mishandled a groundball from Osuna, allowing the runner to score.
Peterson, Recker, and Micah Johnson led the Braves with two hits each. Davidson walked in both of his plate appearances and scored a run. Bonifacio had a rough afternoon, going 0-4 and leaving five men on base. Arodys Vizcaino allowed three hits in the ninth inning, but he struck out one and escaped without any damage.
The Braves will be back in Orlando on Wednesday, facing the Phillies at 1:05 ET.