Braves sweep doubleheader; Yankees continue to slump

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves have renewed hopes their starting pitching can carry them through the second half of this shortened Major League Baseball season.

The New York Yankees have renewed worries that injuries will be a concern all season long.

Freddie Freeman hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning off Chad Green as the Braves, led by another strong start from Max Fried, rallied to beat the Yankees 2-1 on Wednesday night and sweep a doubleheader of seven-inning games.

The Yankees have lost five straight. The second game of the twinbill was New York outfielder Aaron Judge’s first since being activated from the injured list, and the star slugger left in the middle of the sixth inning after aggravating his strained right calf.

“Obviously he’s very frustrated,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

Boone said Judge’s calf “tightened up again” while running to second base after his fourth-inning single. He said Judge will be evaluated today.

In the opener, Atlanta pitching prospect Ian Anderson dazzled in his Major League Baseball debut, holding the Yankees hitless into the sixth inning and ending Gerrit Cole’s 20-game winning streak as the Braves won 5-1.

Masahiro Tanaka was dominant in the second game for New York, allowing only three hits in five scoreless innings as he left with a 1-0 lead. Green (2-1) allowed an infield single to Dansby Swanson with two outs in the sixth before giving up Freeman’s homer, an opposite-field shot over the 385-foot mark in left field.

Fried (5-0) allowed four hits and one run in six strong innings. Mark Melancon pitched the seventh for his fifth save this season.

The Yankees scored their only run off Fried in the fifth. Miguel Andujar singled to left, moved to third on a double down the third-base line by Erik Kratz and scored on Tyler Wade’s fly to left field.

Fried had the only wins by a regular Braves starter this year before Anderson’s impressive outing.

Atlanta outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. celebrated his return to the lineup by leading off the opener with a 473-foot drive against Cole.

Anderson (1-0) gave a depleted Atlanta rotation a huge boost. The 22-yearold right-hander, the third overall pick in the 2016 draft, didn’t allow a hit until Luke Voit connected for his team-leading 11th homer with one out in the sixth.