Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Jonny Venters, left, celebrates with catcher Tyler Flowers after the team’s 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night in Pittsburgh.PITTSBURGH – Jonny Venters thought he had given up a tying home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday night at PNC Park.
“It sounded loud,” the Atlanta Braves reliever said. “I thought it was gone.”
Gregory Polanco’s drive to right field hit off the top of the 21-foot wall, however, and he was held to a double.
Venters then got Francisco Cervelli to hit a game-ending comebacker, preserving Atlanta’s 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Ronald Acuna Jr. hit another leadoff home run, and Freddie Freeman had a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the eighth inning to lift Julio Teheran and the Braves to a three-game sweep.