ATLANTA — Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss was never in panic mode over what had been the bumpiest stretch so far of his first season leading the club.
He still welcomed seeing his team play more like it had before losing six of seven games and three in a row, a skid that ended Friday night at Truist Park.
Jacob Misiorowski lost for the first time in two months as the Braves scored two runs against the Milwaukee Brewers ace, and Mike Yastrzemski added what proved to be a pivotal home run for Atlanta in its 3-2 victory to open a three-game series between National League division leaders.
In addition to the recent losses that dropped Atlanta from its perch as the team with the best record in the majors, the Braves over the past two weeks had dealt with multiple rainy days and nights that led to the postponement of two games that were ultimately rescheduled for August and the early suspension of another that led to what was essentially a doubleheader Wednesday.
After the most recent rainout Thursday, the Braves got back on the field Friday — and got back to winning with the type of baseball that has helped them take control of the NL East Division, where their 47-27 record has given them a 7 1/2-game lead over the second-place Philadelphia Phillies.
“It looked like our team before about, you know, a week or a week and a half ago,” Weiss said in his postgame news conference Friday night. “That’s pretty much what we’ve looked like all year. And look, these things are going to happen, you’re going to hit these skids every once in a while, but I’m really proud of our guys because it’s been a tough stretch, as we all know, and then you’re facing Misiorowski.
“And we play a game like that and win the game, that’s not easy to do. But it took everything to win that game.”
Misiorowski (8-3) had given up just one earned run in his past eight starts entering this one, but Mauricio Dubón hit a two-run single with two outs in the sixth inning to put the Braves up 2-1. It marked the first time since April 25 that the 24-year-old right-hander gave up multiple runs.
Misiorowski, who got out of the inning when Austin Riley struck out looking at a 2-2 fastball, did not return to the mound in the seventh. He allowed five hits and one walk while striking out seven batters in a 91-pitch outing.
He hit 104.2 mph with his fastball and threw 54 pitches of at least 100 mph, according to Statcast, including a record 47 of 101 mph or higher since tracking started in 2008. The previous high for 101 mph or more was 45 by Misiorowski on June 6 against the Colorado Rockies in Denver.
“He was great,” Murphy said of Misiorowski in Friday’s outing. “He was dominant, fantastic. You know, you’re going to give up runs. You’re a human. Go back and look at some of the greats. They all gave up runs. We’re kind of shocked when he gives up a run.”
Misiorowski had gone 29 innings without allowing an earned run since May 25 before Dubón’s single to left field. The 6-foot-7, 201-pounder’s major league-leading ERA rose from 1.34 to 1.45.
“I think they made good swings, and nothing has changed,” Misiorowski said. “I felt fine. They are definitely a really good team. You could see that with all their at-bats today. There wasn’t a single at-bat they were off. They were all trying to fight me through the whole game.”
Braves right fielder Eli White threw out Jackson Chourio by inches at home plate in the ninth inning to preserve a 3-2 lead, and Raisel Iglesias picked up his 15th save of the year when he struck out William Contreras to end the game.
Atlanta’s Martín Pérez (6-3) won his fourth straight start, giving up one run and striking out five batters in six innings. The 35-year left-hander, who was designated for assignment but then re-signed with the Braves in April, lowered his ERA to 2.78.
“He’s been one of our best starters,” Weiss said. “He’s one of our many, I guess you could say, unsung heroes, the guys that maybe when we were in spring training we weren’t looking at some of these guys as being the impact players that they’ve been. Martín’s one of them.
“Now, he’s had a really good career, but you know he was hurt last year and I think threw 45 innings or so, so you don’t know what to expect, but he’s been unbelievable. A great leader in the clubhouse, a great example, just a tremendous competitor, and the guy can pitch, man.”
It was needed considering the Brewers were sending out their very best.
“It’s big-time extension with big-time velocity, so the ball is on you,” Weiss said of Misiorowski. “Throws strikes, so you have to be aggressive. You’ve got to be ready to fire. It’s a tough guy to have two strikes against, because he’s punching people out.”
The Braves broke through against Misiorowski in the sixth with an infield single by Jorge Mateo, a single by Ozzie Albies and a nine-pitch walk by Matt Olson to load the bases for Dubón.
It was Misiorowski’s first time facing the Braves, though he had pitched at Truist Park before. He threw a scoreless eighth inning for the NL in last year’s MLB All-Star Game, making the team after just five career starts.
“He’s got a lot coming at him, and luckily I think a lot of that bounces off him,” Murphy said before Friday’s game. “I really respect how he lives his life that way. He clearly understands what’s important, that he’s got his priorities in order, and hopefully it stays that way.”
Yastrzemski led off the bottom of the seventh by sending Abner Uribe’s first pitch over the fence in right field. It was the fourth home run of the season for Yastrzemski.
Garrett Mitchell was 2-for-4 and Brice Turang drove in a run with an infield single in the third inning for the Brewers, who had won 12 consecutive series openers. They fell to 45-28, but their lead in the NL Central remains 5 1/ games over the second-place St. Louis Cardinals.
The series continues Saturday, when the scheduled starting pitchers are left-handers Kyle Harrison (8-1, 2.47 ERA) for the Brewers and Chris Sale (8-5, 2.30) for the Braves.