Bailey Ober’s run of quality starts ended early on Monday when the Twins’ right-hander surrendered four runs to the Atlanta Braves without returning a batter in the first inning.

That’s one more run than the three or fewer runs required for a quality start, and 18 outs shy of the required six innings.

Then it got worse.

After dominating opponents in 11 straight games since June 16, Ober was tagged for nine runs on seven hits and two walks in two innings as the Twins lost to the Braves, 10-6, in front of an announced crowd of 18,979 at Target Field. Atlanta has won 7 of 9 games and extended its lead to three games over the idle New York Mets for the last National League wild card spot.

Matt Wallner was 2 for 3 with a home run for Minnesota, which has lost 6 of 8 but, thanks to the Royals sweeping the Guardians in a double-header at Cleveland, are now 2 1/2 out in the American League Central Division, 1 1/2 games behind second-place Kansas City, and five games up on Boston for the last AL wild card spot.

Ober’s run of 11 straight quality starts was the most in the majors this season, and the best for a Twins pitcher since left-hander Johan Santana pitched 21 in a row during his first Cy Young Award-winning season in 2004.

Matt Olson was 3 for 5 with a three-run homer, two-run double and two runs scored, and Travis d’Arnaud added a two-run homer for the Braves, who got five innings out of starter Max Fried despite an 86-minute delay caused by heavy rain and lightning midway through the second inning.

Batting leadoff, Whit Merrifield went 5 for 5 for Atlanta.

Fried (8-7) allowed a run in the first on Manny Margot’s leadoff double and a sacrifice fly from Jose Miranda, then returned from the delay to throw five innings. He was charged with three runs, one earned, on four hits, didn’t walk a batter and struck out seven.

Ober, meanwhile, lasted only his two innings before the break and fell to 12-6. In the first, he allowed a single to Merrifield, walk to Jorge Soler, RBI single to Marcell Ozuna and Olson’s three-run home run to make it 4-0 before the Twins recorded an out.

In the second inning, Ober retired Gio Urshela and Orlando Arcia on groundouts before the next five batters reached base. Ozuna hit an RBI double, and Olson followed with a two-run double before Travis d’Arnaud hit a two-run homer into the second deck in left field to make it 9-1.

The Twins scored two runs in the fifth on RBI singles by Manny Margot and Austin Martin, but the Braves got one back in the sixth against reliever Trevor Richards.

Leadoff hitter Arcia walked and went to third on a double by Merrifield. Richards got Soler to pop out to first baseman Carlos Santana near the plate, and fanned Ozuna for the final out — but not before allowing Arcia to score on a wild pitch to make it 10-3.

It was Richards’ MLB-leading 13th wild pitch in 65⅓ innings this season. Seven of those wild pitches have come over 13 innings with the Twins since he was acquired at the trade deadline.

Royce Lewis drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to make it 10-4 in the seventh, and Michael Harris II robbed next batter Miranda of extra bases and RBIs when he ranged back to snare his hard line drive at the warning track in center field.

Kyle Farmer’s one-out solo home run in the eighth made it 10-5.

Scott Blewitt pitched three scoreless innings of relief for the Twins, allowing two hits, in relief of Ober. Ronny Henriquez added scoreless eighth and ninth innings for Minnesota.