Red Sox fans are familiar with curses — or at least the notion that one may have once existed. But the Atlanta Braves might currently have a situation on their hands.

With the release of infielder Julio Lugo on Friday, the 36-year-old becomes the latest casualty of a seemingly cursed locker in the Atlanta clubhouse.

For years, any player who has sat in the locker next to where Greg Maddux used to sit has been gone by the following year, starting with Jeff Blauser when Turner Field opened in 1997, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

This season, four Braves have reportedly used locker, only to then find themselves shipped out of Atlanta in some way.

Joe Mather was released, Cristhian Martinez was demoted and Jordan Schafer was traded to the Astros before Lugo, who had been occupying the locker, was released.

Bret Boone, Robert Fick, Wally Joyner, Ken Caminiti, Albie Lopez, Damian Moss, Chris Seelbach and Joe Nelson are reportedly among the other players to use the locker in recent years before making a quick exit from the organization.

Kenshin Kawakami is the only player to last longer than one year, although he’s now down at Double-A Mississippi, where he has a 2-4 record to go with a 8.10 ERA in 15 games (6 starts) this season.

Maddux left the Braves following the 2003 season and signed as a free agent with the Chicago Cubs, another organization that knows a thing or two about hexes.

The most alarming aspect of the apparent curse, though, is that the Braves have yet to win a World Series title since it supposedly originated. Atlanta’s last World Series victory came in 1995, when they defeated the Cleveland Indians in six games.

Read More: Matt Kemp (CF – LOS), Aaron Miles (2B – LOS), Martin Prado (3B – ATL), John Lannan (P – WAS), Hiroki Kuroda (P – LOS), Brooks Conrad (2B – ATL), Clayton Kershaw (P – LOS), Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves, Sep 4, 2011 10:35 AM PDT

Martin Prado delivered a two-out RBI single down the left field line off Blake Hawksowrth in the ninth inning, giving the Atlanta Braves a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers to prevent a series sweep at Turner Field in Atlanta. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for the Dodgers, who seemed to have everything aligned perfectly earlier in the game.

With two runners on and first base open in the third inning, the Braves opted to pitch to Matt Kemp, and he made them pay with a laser beam three-run home run into the seats in left field. The Dodgers led 3-0 with Clayton Kershaw on the mound, and Kershaw was cruising through six innings.

Two singles, a throwing error by Aaron Miles, and a broken-bat bloop single by Brooks Conrad tied the game off Kershaw, ending his chance at an 18th win of the season. Kershaw will have to settle for a 10-strikeout, no-walk performance and an ERA that rose all the way from 2.446 to 2.451. Such is life.

The Dodgers move on to Washington DC to face the Nationals for four games beginning on Labor Day. Hiroki Kuroda starts the opener for the Dodgers, facing John Lannan for Washington.

For more news and information on the Dodgers, be sure to read True Blue LA.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Brett Hayes congratulates Leo Nunez (right) of the Florida Marlins after their 3-1 win over the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field on July 31, 2011 in Atlanta.

ATLANTA (Reuters) – Andrew McCutchen‘s two-run home run in the ninth inning secured a 5-2 win for the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field on Thursday.

The win moves the surprising Pirates into a second place tie with the St. Louis Cardinals, 1- games behind the National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers.

Following a 47-minute rain delay, McCutchen’s RBI double in the fifth inning broke a 1-1 tie and Pedro Alvarez also drove in a run to stretch the Pirates’ lead to 3-1.

“I changed something simple,” said McCutchen, who had struggled with an average of .156 since the All-Star break.

“The thing about me is, when I am not feeling too well, if it feels like something is off, I can always figure it out pretty quick just by looking at film.

“It is nothing really difficult, so we looked at some video and said ‘all right, make that adjustment,’ and I was able to do it and I had a pretty good game.”

The Braves narrowed the Pirates’ lead to 3-2 in the sixth inning on a throwing error by Pirates shortstop Ronny Cedeno.

Cedeno’s throw to first base on a ground ball sailed wide allowing Freddie Freeman, who doubled to lead-off the inning, to score from second base.

Both teams squandered opportunities as the Braves hit into four double plays and the Pirates stranded 10 runners on base, including leaving the bases loaded in the seventh inning.

“Even early on tonight we didn’t get a guy in from third with less than two outs,” Braves catcher David Ross said. “Like I said yesterday, we’ve got to do that stuff now.”

Pirates starter Kevin Correia won his 12th game of the season allowing two runs on nine hits while striking out three in 6-1/3 innings. Joel Hanrahan secured the final four outs for Pittsburgh for his 30th save of the season

(Reporting by Mike Mouat in Windsor, Ontario; Editing by Ossian Shine/Ian Ransom)

Atlanta, GA –

Julio Lugo scored from third base on a contested play at the plate, giving the Atlanta Braves a 4-3 win in 19 innings over the Pittsburgh Pirates early Wednesday morning.

The game, which ended just before 2 a.m., was the longest in Turner Field history and matched the longest in the major leagues this season. At 6 hours, 39 minutes, it was the longest by time for both teams.

Lugo took on Scott Proctor’s grounder to third baseman Pedro Alvarez, whose throw to catcher Michael McKenry easily beat Lugo to the plate.

Lugo tried to avoid McKenry’s tag with a pop-up slide. Replays indicated McKenry made the tag, but home plate umpire Jerry Meals called Lugo safe.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle argued the call vigorously, following Meals off the field as the Braves celebrated.