Pair of homers not enough for Braves

ATLANTA — Eric Lauer allowed one earned run, Christian Yelich’s infield single was the big hit in the visitors’ four-run sixth inning and the streaking Milwaukee Brewers beat the Atlanta Braves 6-3 on Friday night.

The Brewers, who sit atop the Nation League Central Division standings, have won four straight games and nine of their past 10.

Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. opened the fourth with a 450-foot homer to center field — his first since returning last week from knee surgery that cost him the latter half of the 2021 season and the first few weeks of this one. The momentum of Acuña’s big swing forced him to fall in the batter’s box before he rose to jog around the bases.

Lauer (3-0) gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings. He had eight strikeouts, giving him 32 in his past three starts. The left-hander has allowed no more than one earned run in four consecutive starts and has a 1.82 ERA.

Dansby Swanson added an eighth-inning homer off Jandel Gustave for Atlanta. Four Milwaukee pitchers combined to allow three hits, including the two home runs.

Josh Hader pitched the ninth for his 11th save this year. Hader, who had been bothered by back spasms, made his first appearance since April 27. After shortstop Willy Adames’ throwing error on Marcell Ozuna’s grounder with two outs allowed Atlanta’s only baserunner of the ninth, Ozzie Albies popped out to end the game.

After hitting 20 homers in a six-game homestand against the Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds, the Brewers found different ways to score as they opened a nine-game trip. Milwaukee managed only two infield hits in the big sixth inning, but the visitors took advantage of four walks by Collin McHugh (0-1) and Tyler Matzek.

McHugh’s walk to Omar Narváez loaded the bases. Lorenzo Cain beat out a fielder’s choice grounder that forced Narváez at second base, giving the Brewers a 3-2 lead. Kolten Wong’s walk again loaded the bases before Matzek’s walk to Adames forced in a run.

Yelich followed with a run-scoring infield single off Tyler Thornburg. Wong scored a second run on the play on Albies’ wild throw to second base for an error.