Atlanta rallies but can’t avoid sweep
ATLANTA — Andrew Suarez is fitting in San Francisco’s rotation just fine — especially after the first road start of his MLB career was added to the Giants’ ledger of impressive results away from home this season.
Suarez outpitched Mike Soroka in a rookie matchup Sunday, and San Francisco survived Atlanta’s ninth-inning rally for a 4-3 win and the Giants’ first series sweep of the Braves in four years.
Giants starters have a 2.55 ERA in 17 road games after Suarez (1-1) allowed only one unearned run and seven hits and one walk in 5 1/3 innings. The left-hander shut down an Atlanta lineup that began the day leading the majors with a .274 average and first in the National League in several categories, including runs.
“It’s something I’m never going to forget, for sure,” Suarez said. “I’m just happy we got the win and especially the sweep.”
Suarez has allowed two earned runs in two starts since he was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento on May 1 to replace the injured Johnny Cueto in the rotation.
“That’s huge, and that’s what has to happen,” San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. “When you have injuries, hopefully you have depth and you have somebody come up and do a nice job for you.”
The Braves rallied with two runs in the ninth off closer Hunter Strickland, who earned his eighth save this season. Pinch-hitter Kurt Suzuki’s double drove in Jose Bautista, who singled. Ender Inciarte’s groundout drove in Johan Camargo before Ozzie Albies popped out to end the game.
Nick Hundley and Pablo Sandoval had run-scoring singles to give the Giants a 2-1 lead in the third.
San Francisco added two more runs in the fourth. Alen Hanson, who had an infield single, scored from third on a headfirst slide home, beating the throw by first baseman Freddie Freeman, who had fielded Gregor Blanco’s grounder. Hanson added a fifth-inning double for his third straight two-hit game of the series, though he committed two fielding errors.
Soroka (1-1) lasted only four innings in his first home start, allowing four runs and seven hits and three walks.
“He wasn’t as sharp, obviously,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “You’re going to have games like that.”
Braves rookie Ronald Acuna Jr., the top prospect who made his debut April 25, singled to left field in the first inning for his first hit at SunTrust Park. He scored on Tyler Flowers’ single.
Acuna showed his speed when he beat out an infield single in the third. Sandoval fielded Acuna’s grounder cleanly at third base, took a step, threw to first and then appeared shocked Acuna beat the throw.
With Soroka, 20, Acuna, 20, and Albies, 21, the Braves had the three youngest players in the majors on the field together.
Soroka, whose highlight was a second-inning single up the middle for his first MLB hit, said his sinker “was a little flatter than I would have liked out of the gate” and that patient approaches by Giants hitters left him behind in too many counts.