Freeman won’t allow Braves to slip

ATLANTA — Freddie Freeman spent the last four seasons playing for Braves teams that averaged 90 losses a year.

Now that they are back challenging for a division title, the All-Star first baseman knows his club can’t afford any long losing streaks.

Freeman hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs, Touki Toussaint pitched into the sixth inning and the NL East-leading Braves snapped a four-game skid with a 7-3 victory over the Cardinals on Wednesday.

“It’s been four days, so I thought this was a big win for our team,” Freeman said. “I thought we played a quality baseball game today, and hopefully we can carry that into this Philly series.”

The Braves began the day with a 51⁄ game lead over Philadelphia and open a four-game home series against the Phillies on Thursday. The Braves need any combination of six victories or Phillies losses to clinch their first division title since 2013.

The Cardinals, who had won three straight, began the day leading the Rockies by 11⁄ games for the second wild-card spot.

Closer A.J. Minter, working in a non-save situation in the ninth, walked two to load the bases, but he ended it by striking out Jose Martinez and getting Paul DeJong to pop up.

Freeman’s 23rd homer, an opposite-field shot to left-center, put the Braves up 2-0 in the fourth against Jack Flaherty. Freeman went 3-for-3 and is hitting .405 over his last 11 games.

“He’s getting the ball in the air, and it’s carrying, and that’s always a good thing,” manager Brian Snitker said.

Toussaint (2-1), a rookie making his fourth career start, allowed five hits, two runs, three walks and struck out eight in 52⁄ innings.