ATLANTA - Willy Adames hit an early home run off Charlie Morton, and Brett Anderson pitched 5 2/3 strong innings Sunday afternoon as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Atlanta Braves 2-1.
The Brewers, who have a seven-game lead in the National League Central Division, moved 20 games over .500 for the second time this season. They improved to 34-19 away from Milwaukee and have won 13 of 17 road series in 2021.
"It's a playoff-caliber team," Anderson said. "Pitching and defense are the strong suit, and we've been scoring at a pretty good clip since the All-Star break. Still, we haven't had everybody clicking offensively at the same time quite yet."
Atlanta lost its ninth straight game when trying to reach .500, as well as dropping its 12th in the past 13 such opportunities. The Braves, who dropped to 52-54 and have yet to post a winning record this season, are four games back of the first-place New York Mets in the NL East, where Atlanta is the three-time reigning champion.
Milwaukee took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Adames' 18th homer of the season and 13th with the Brewers. Adames has been swinging a hot bat lately, hitting .319 with 10 homers and 28 RBIs in his past 37 games.
The Brewers went up 2-0 in the fifth when Lorenzo Cain reached on an infield single, advanced to third on a single by Luis Urías and scored on Jackie Bradley Jr.'s groundout.
Anderson, who is 2-0 with a 1.72 ERA in his past four starts, gave up four hits and one run with one walk and three strikeouts.
Anderson (4-5) didn't have to pitch out of trouble often. Guillermo Heredia led off the bottom of the third with a double and advanced to third on a groundout but was stranded. Freddie Freeman singled with one out in the fourth before Anderson struck out Austin Riley for the second time and Dansby Swanson grounded out.
Ozzie Albies singled with one out in the bottom of the sixth, and Anderson followed by issuing his first free pass when Jorge Soler walked. Freeman lined out to end Anderson's day, and John Curtiss gave up Austin Riley's RBI single to make it 2-1.
"Brett was great today," Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. "On a day where it was obviously very warm out there, and just pitches with such great pace and he's telling the other team to hit it and see what happens. It puts them in swing mode and kind of tantalizes them and gets ground balls and doesn't let the ball kind of get hit in the air. We end up getting a lot of outs, and it's a fast five innings."
Morton, who was 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA in his previous four starts, was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the sixth. Morton (10-4) allowed two runs and three hits with no walks and six strikeouts.
The Braves made it interesting against Brad Boxberger in the seventh when Kevan Smith singled and pinch-hitter Joc Pederson got hit by a pitch. Albies grounded out to end the threat.
"We were kind of a big hit away," Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. "We put ourselves in position and couldn't finish the deal. It happens. That's a really good team right there that we just played and had a chance to win a series, too. They're riding their pitching, too. That's a solid bullpen. Their starters are really good."
Soler led off the bottom of the eighth with a single against Devin Williams before Freeman struck out, Riley singled, Swanson struck out and Adam Duvall struck out. Josh Hader retired the side in order in the ninth to earn his 22nd save in 23 chances but first since July 8.
Hader liked how many contributions Milwaukee got in a close game.
"Absolutely, that's what it takes," he said. "Big guys stepping up and getting us hits, and the pitching staying strong. At the end of the day, as long as we can limit the hits we give up and continue to hit the ball and play good baseball, that's what you want."
Counsell said right-handed pitchers Jake Cousins and Hunter Strickland, both sidelined by COVID-19 symptoms, will stay in Atlanta together and quarantine at Strickland's home nearby. Counsell said utility player Jace Peterson, sidelined for contact tracing, could be activated during a three-games series against the Pittsburgh Pirates that begins Monday.
Atlanta is off Monday, and left-hander Max Fried (7-7, 4.32) is scheduled to start Tuesday in the opener of a three-game road series against the St. Louis Cardinals.