Atlanta gets even in series vs. Brewers
ATLANTA — Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a fifth-inning homer for the game’s first run, Max Fried outpitched Corbin Burnes and the Atlanta Braves held off the Milwaukee Brewers 3-2 on Saturday night.
Asked to protect a 3-1 lead, Braves closer Kenley Jansen gave up a run in the ninth inning. Christian Yelich, who led off with a double, scored on Tyrone Taylor’s one-out single to cut the Braves’ lead to a run.
Jansen then struck out Rowdy Tellez and Taylor was caught stealing for a double play to end the game. The Brewers unsuccessfully challenged the call on Taylor. Jansen earned his eighth save of the season.
Fried (4-2) allowed one run on four hits with one walk and eight strikeouts in seven innings to end Milwaukee’s four-game winning streak. The teams have split the first two games of the rematch of last season’s National League Division Series won by the Braves on their way to their World Series championship.
Acuña’s homer off Burnes (1-2) was his second in two games as he continued to prove he has fully recovered from knee surgery that cost him the second half of last season and the first few weeks of this season.
Burnes lowered his ERA from 1.93 to 1.86 while allowing two runs (one earned) in six innings. He gave up six hits with seven strikeouts and one walk.
Travis Demeritte’s diving catch of Christian Yelich’s shallow liner in left field kept the Brewers scoreless in the sixth. With two outs, Luis Urías singled and moved to third on Willy Adames’ double. Demeritte then raced in toward the infield to rob Yelich of a hit that likely would have driven in two runs.
Hunter Renfroe led off the top of the seventh with his sixth homer of the season for Milwaukee. Travis d’Arnaud’s eighth-inning single off Luis Perdomo drove in Ozzie Albies to give Atlanta a tworun lead.
Acuña, making back-to-back starts in right field for the first time since returning to the majors on April 28, led off the game with a single off the rightfield wall. In the fifth, Acuña’s blast over the wall in left-center snapped a scoreless tie.
On Friday night, Acuña fell in the batter’s box after his big home run swing. This time, Acuña kept his feet and thumped his chest while looking into the Atlanta dugout before beginning his path around the bases.
Acuña walked and stole second in the seventh.
The Brewers committed two errors, including a two-base fielding miscue by Lorenzo Cain in center field, allowing Marcell Ozuna’s single to bounce past him in the sixth. Ozuna advance to third and scored on Albies’ sharp grounder past Tellez at first base.
Renfroe’s walk to open the second ended Fried’s streak of 29 innings without a free pass. Renfroe was thrown out by d’Arnaud while attempting to steal second base to end the inning.
Before the game, Milwaukee outfielder Andrew McCutchen was placed on the COVID-19 injured list after testing positive. Brewers manager Craig Counsell said McCutchen had symptoms Saturday before returning to the team hotel. It was not known if McCutchen will be able to join the team on its trip to face the Cincinnati Reds after Sunday’s series finale at Truist Park. Infielder Mike Brosseau was recalled from Triple-A Nashville.
On Sunday, Brewers lefthander Aaron Ashby (0-2, 2.33), who has worked in relief and as a spot starter, moves back into the rotation for an indefinite period when he makes his third start of the season.
The Braves will counter with veteran right-hander Charlie Morton (1-3, 6.85), who is attempting to regroup after a slow start to the season.