The Pittsburgh Pirates' Gregory Polanco, left, celebrates with Jacob Stallings as he returns to the dugout after hitting a solo home run off the Atlanta Braves' Mike Foltynewicz during the second inning of Thursday's game in Pittsburgh.
Atlanta Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz delivers to a Pittsburgh Pirates batter during Thursday's game, which the Braves lost 6-1 to drop two of three games in the series at Pittsburgh.PITTSBURGH - If the Atlanta Braves needed more incentive to pursue free-agent pitcher Dallas Keuchel, they may have received it Thursday afternoon.
Mike Foltynewicz allowed consecutive home runs to Colin Moran and Gregory Polanco in the second inning of a 6-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, another subpar outing for the 2018 All-Star pitcher.
Foltynewicz (1-5) has allowed 15 home runs this season to rank among the worst National League pitchers in that category. He gave up three runs, six hits and one walk in six innings, lowering his ERA from 6.10 to 5.89.
Braves manager Brian Snitker has faith the 27-year-old right-hander can regain his form.
"He's just a click away," Snitker said. "He's left pitches over the middle of the plate. You do that, they get whacked. After all that - that was the second inning - then he started making pitches."
Freddie Freeman put Atlanta ahead in the first inning with his 16th home run this season.
Moran gave the Pirates a 2-1 lead with a two-run drive above the Clemente Wall in right field, his eighth home run this season. Three pitches later, Polanco sent a curveball into the last row of the right-field seats.
"In starts past, I wouldn't have gotten through the third or maybe that inning," Foltynewicz said. "I really felt like I got stronger as the game went on. I felt better and better every inning I went out. So it was something to go off of there in the second inning. I'm really glad I stopped the bleeding."
Atlanta allowed 18 runs while losing two of three in the series at Pittsburgh. Foltynewicz and Kevin Gausman, the losing pitcher in Wednesday's rain-delayed 7-4 defeat, are a combined 3-9 this year.
Josh Bell had three doubles, increasing his major league-leading total to 25, and had two RBIs to take sole possession of the MLB lead with 58.
Chris Archer (3-5) gave up one run and six hits in six innings, a turnaround after he yielded at least three runs in each of his previous five starts.
"It was nice to get a series win against a really good club, a really good lineup," Archer said. "I think it did something for this clubhouse. We're looking forward to rolling into Milwaukee with that swagger that we have."
Felipe Vázquez got four outs for his 15th save in 16 chances this season. He entered with a 3-1 lead and a runner on in the eighth, then retired Nick Markakis on a foulout. After Atlanta loaded the bases in the ninth on a single and a pair of walks, Vázquez struck out Dansby Swanson on three pitches for the final out.
Bell, who had started June in a 2-for-14 slide, hit a two-run double off Jacob Webb in the bottom half and scored on Elias Díaz's double.