Atlanta Braves' Losing Streak Snaps Historic Run Only Bested By 1930s New York Yankees

Prior to their defeat at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday, the Atlanta Braves hadn't lost five games in a row since September 2017.
Jun 11, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA;  Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried (54) speaks with home plate umpire Chad Whitson (62) while walking to the dugout after the first inning of the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Jun 11, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried (54) speaks with home plate umpire Chad Whitson (62) while walking to the dugout after the first inning of the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Braves have been riding high for the better part of the last decade, but their latest cold streak has cost them a spot in the history books.

Atlanta lost to the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday, marking the club's fifth defeat in a row. On top of dropping the Braves to 35-30 on the season and 9-17 since May 15, the result also locked in their first five-game losing streak since September 2017.

MLB.com's Sarah Langs shared quite the interesting stat about the gap between streaks, courtesy of the Braves' public relations team and the Elias Sports Bureau.

The Braves went 934 games between their two losing streaks of five-plus games. That is the second longest streak of that kind in MLB history.

The New York Yankees own the record, going 1,243 games between five-game losing streaks from 1930 to 1938.

That streak came at the height of the Bronx Bombers' power, when Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig passed the torch to Joe DiMaggio. The Yankees won the World Series four times in the nine seasons that their streak spanned, setting the stage for another 13 championships in the ensuing 24 years.

The Braves, on the other hand, won the World Series in 2021. That is the only trophy they've been able to claim from 2017 to 2024, despite the fact that they own the fourth-best record in baseball in that span.

Atlanta is pursuing its seventh consecutive NL East title this year, but the Philadelphia Phillies are currently ahead of them by 10.0 games.

A win in Thursday's series finale against the Orioles could help the Braves chip away at that gap, on top of ending the rare losing streak. Atlanta currently leads 4-0 midway through the sixth inning.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a Staff Writer for Fastball on the Sports Illustrated/FanNation networks. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's All Bruins, 247Sports' Bruin Report Online, Rivals' Bruin Blitz, the Bleav Podcast Network and the Daily Bruin, with his work as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk.