With 27 games to play, the Braves went 9-18 in September to finish the season with a record of 89-73. The Cardinals, meanwhile, went 18-8 to finish at 90-72. Braves closer Craig Kimbrel, who had not surrendered a single earned run in July or August, carried a 4.76 ERA in September with three blown saves. After being dominant in his role for much of the season, Braves setup man Jonny Venters posted a 5.11 September ERA. These sharp declines in both relievers led many critics to question the handling of the bullpen by Braves manager Fredi González. Veteran starter Derek Lowe posted a win-loss record of 0-5 in September with an ERA of 8.75. Shortly into the offseason, Lowe would be traded to the Cleveland Indians. The Braves starters lasted six or more innings only three times over the last 23 games. Over the last five games, all of which were losses for the Braves, the team managed to score only seven runs. Braves catcher Brian McCann (baseball), often regarded as the best offensive catcher in the Majors, hit only .183 with two home runs in September. The offense as a whole hit for only a .235 batting average (baseball) and a .300 on-base percentage in September, both second-worst in the National League. The .195 Scoring position average by Braves hitters was second worst in the Majors. Hitting coach Larry Parrish was fired two days following the last game of the season.. How many games did the Braves lose prior to the 27 games played in September?