Turner Field with the NL-worst Braves moving to a new ballpa

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The offseason additions meant to fortify Oaklands defense have only led to a historically bad start for the Raiders.The Raiders got gashed for a second straight week and were unable to get bailed out this time by their high-powered offense, dropping the home opener 35-28 to Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons.Were giving away way too many plays that should be routine and easy plays and allowing them not only to be made, but go for chunks, coach Jack Del Rio said. It will get corrected.For the second straight week Del Rio benched a starter, pulling middle linebacker Ben Heeney late in the game one week after replacing cornerback Sean Smith . Del Rio said he also took over some play-calling duties late from coordinator Ken Norton Jr.But Del Rio wasnt passing off any responsibility for a defense that has allowed 1,035 yards and 69 points in two games.If you want somebody to blame, blame it on me, he said. If you need someone to blame, blame the head coach. Ill take it. Well correct what needs to be corrected and well go forward. This was one game today that didnt go our way.This wasnt supposed to happen this year after Oakland added proven free-agent starters in Smith, safety Reggie Nelson and linebacker Bruce Irvin and used its top two draft picks on safety Karl Joseph and defensive lineman Jihad Ward.The Raiders (1-1) allowed the Falcons to score on six of seven drives in one stretch and gave up 528 yards in all as they struggled to stop Atlanta (1-1) on the ground or in the air in a deflating loss.Im speechless, Irvin said. Ive never experienced this experience. Until everybody makes a full commitment to turning this thing around were going to be a subpar defense.Right now, they are historically bad. The Raiders joined the 1967 Falcons as the only teams to give up at least 500 yards in each of the first two games of the season, according to Pro Football Reference, and the 1,035 total yards allowed through two weeks are the most since at least 1940.The only reason they have a win at all is because Carr led a late comeback last week and Del Rio made a gutsy call to go for a 2-point conversion that gave Oakland a 35-34 win at New Orleans.Oakland faced a bit of bad luck when the Falcons scored the go-ahead touchdown on a deflected third-down pass that the Raiders appeared to break up. But the ball popped in the air and went right to Justin Hardy in the end zone for a touchdown that made it 28-21.But after Oakland was stopped on fourth down near midfield later in the fourth, the defense allowed the Falcons another score on a 13-yard touchdown run by Tevin Coleman .Then after the Raiders cut the deficit to 35-28 on Carrs third touchdown pass with 2:12 to go, the defense failed to get the needed stop, allowing a third-down conversion to Mohamed Sanu that allowed Atlanta to run out all but 2 seconds on the clock.That game was on us, star pass rusher Khalil Mack said after being held without a sack for the second straight game. That game was on us defensively. It was terrible discipline wise. Everything worked in their favor today and we didnt do much to stop it.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Los Angeles Lakers Pro Shop . 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ATLANTA -- Matt Wisler is trying to close out the season on a strong note after struggling at times for the Atlanta Braves.Ive had my ups and downs this year, he said. Ive shown that I can be really good and Ive shown I can be really bad. Its just a matter of not taking any start for granted.Adonis Garcia drove in three runs, Wisler pitched five-plus innings and Atlanta beat the Washington Nationals 6-2 in a rain-shortened game Sunday.The game was official with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. The two delays totaled 2 hours, 57 minutes.Washington has dropped two straight and needs any combination of six Nationals wins and six New York Mets losses to earn its third NL East title in five years.After a 1-hour, 7-minute delay in the top of the sixth, the Braves scored three runs in the bottom of the inning to make it 6-2 on Garcias two-run single and Freddie Freemans RBI double.Wisler (7-12) allowed two runs, five hits and struck out two in 5 2/3 innings to earn the win.He faced a limited lineup as Nationals manager Dusty Baker gave sluggers Daniel Murphy and Anthony Rendon the day off and used Ryan Zimmerman as a pinch-hitter.Today I thought I came out aggressively, made them put the ball in play, Wisler said. They were swinging kind of early. They werent squaring up a lot of balls like they were the last game (he faced them).Joe Ross (7-5), reinstated from the disabled list after missing 66 games with right shoulder inflammation, took the loss. Ross, on a pitch count, allowed one run and six hits, one run and struck out five in three innings. It was his first start since July 2.Its a welcomed sight to see him back, Nationals manager Dusty Baker said.Ross trailed 1-0 in the second on Jace Petersons RBI single. He gave up three singles to begin the third, but retired the next three batters to esccape the jam.ddddddddddddPitched myself into a jam and was able to work out of in the third, Ross said. Felt good, and thats the main thing I was concerned with today. I could have kept pitching, but probably best to keep it to three innings.Reynaldo Lopez took over in the fourth and trailed 3-0 on Dansby Swansons RBI double and Garcias RBI single.Washington made it 3-2 in the sixth. Trea Turner tripled and Jayson Werth doubled off Wisler. After the first delay ended, Bryce Harpers single off Ian Krol scored Werth.Wisler is 3-3 with a 4.83 in five career starts and one relief appearance against Washington.The Nationals went 15-4 against Atlanta this season and 36-13 in the series since June 21, 2014. They played their last game at Turner Field with the NL-worst Braves moving to a new ballpark next year.STILL STREAKINGIn 13 games against Atlanta, Turner hit .475 with five doubles, two triples, six homers, 16 RBI, seven stolen bases and 20 runs scored. ... Freeman went 2 for 3 and has a 22-game hitting streak and has reached safely in 38 straight games. Both are career highs and rank first in the majors among active streaks. ... Braves CF Ender Inciarte went 1 for 3 and leads the majors with 88 hits since the All-Star break.SWOON STOPSHarper ended a stretch of 26 plate appearances without a hit, though he did have nine walks over the span. He had two hits in 29 at-bats over his previous 10 games.UP NEXTWashington RHP A.J. Cole (1-2) is scheduled to make his sixth start and first in his career against Miami. Braves RHP Aaron Blair (0-6) is set to start at the New York Mets. The rookie has an 8.23 ERA in 12 starts and is 0-2 with an 8.04 ERA in three starts against the Mets. ' ' '