ESPN Box Score

Paul Maholm was bound to give up some runs, the holes on offense were bound to rear their heads, and the Braves were bound to come back down to earth. Tonight, unfortunately, all three happened.

Maholm was his usual self, save for one ugly inning. He was brilliant the first time through the order, and effective, if less-than dominant, the second time. It would be the third time through the Pirates order that Maholm finally stumbled. After leading off the 6th inning with a walk to Starling Marte — a guy who almost never walks, by the way — the soft-tossing lefty gave up a double to Andrew McCutchen and a homer to Gaby Sanchez. Three runs, just like that.

And that would be all the Pirates pitchers needed. The Braves got their lone run of the night in the second inning, when James McDonald hit Gattis, gave up a double to Chris Johnson, walked Uggla, and then walked in a run on four pitches to Simmons. Otherwise, McDonald dominated a lineup that suddenly looks more patchwork than robust. He struck out nine, walked two more, and surrendered only one other hit. Three Pirates relievers were meanwhile just as impressive: they scattered two hits over the last three frames, striking out four. All told, Braves batters struck out 13 times, and there were no home runs to belie their futility.

B.J. Upton and Jason Heyward continue to make outs at a prodigious pace at the top of the order. Simmons looks no better at the back of it. And Dan Uggla, already struggling, left the game with an apparent leg injury. There’s no telling how long Justin Upton, Evan Gattis, and Chris Johnson can carry this offense, but rest assured that at some point they all will cool off. Gattis, in fact, might already be regressing.

Hopefully, when that happens, Heyward and B.J. Upton — and a healthy Freddie Freeman and Brian McCann — will be there to pick up the slack. If not, there will be more nights like tonight.