Gattis, Harang deliver

Braves score four runs in first, then hold on as Kimbrel closes it.

Maybe the problem in Colorado was just a little too much altitude? The Braves came back down a little closer to sea level, yes, but back home. They made themselves comfortable again with a fourrun first inning off Angels lefthander C.J. Wilson.

Evan Gattis hit a threerun homer to jump start the Braves to a 4-3 win over the Angels Friday night.

The win snapped a six-game losing streak to start interleague play this season for the Braves, and it opened a rare homestand in the month of June with a little something positive from the Braves offense.

A B.J. Upton error in the eighth inning left rookie righthander Shae Simmons to face the gauntlet of Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton with a runner aboard. Trout doubled and Pujols cashed in a two-run single to pull the Angels within 4-3. But Simmons averted further damage and turned the ball over to Craig Kimbrel in the ninth.

Gattis extended his hitting streak to a careerhigh 13 games by launching a three-run home run in the first inning. He has hit six home runs during this streak, and leads all major-league catchers with 14.

Chris Johnson followed Gattis to the plate in the first inning with a home run of his own, his third of the season, to give the Braves a 4-0 lead.

The first inning did come at a price, though, as Wilson hit Jason Heyward in the right hand with his second pitch of the game. Heyward initially shook it off and stayed in the game, but after playing the top of the second in the field he was removed for a pinch hitter after his hand tightened up. X-rays taken during the game were negative and the Braves announced he had a right hand contusion, and was considered day to day.

Aaron Harang used the four-run cushion to settle into another good nights’ work and his first win in more than a month. Harang had been 0-2 over his past five starts despite a 3.90 ERA in that time. On Friday, he limited the Angels to one run in six innings, allowing only four hits, to claim his first win since May 11.

Andrelton Simmons might have made his play of the year so far, as the platinum gold winning shortstop dove to his right to snare a sharp line drive off the bat of Hamilton in the sixth inning.