Braves keep rolling, win series with Phillies

AP photo by Ben Margot / Atlanta Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson, right, hops over Philadelphia Phillies baserunner Rhys Hoskins after completing a double play during the seventh inning of Sunday's NL East matchup at Truist Park in Atlanta.
AP photo by Ben Margot / Atlanta Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson, right, hops over Philadelphia Phillies baserunner Rhys Hoskins after completing a double play during the seventh inning of Sunday's NL East matchup at Truist Park in Atlanta.

ATLANTA - Freddie Freeman and Dansby Swanson homered, Huascar Ynoa won his fourth straight start and the Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-1 on Sunday night to take two of three in the series between division rivals.

Freeman, the reigning National League MVP who began the game 1-for-24 in May, hit his ninth homer of the season, a solo shot, to make it 5-1 in the third as the Braves won their second straight game and fifth of six. Freeman finished 3-for-3 and reached base four times, raising his batting average 20 points to .217.

Aaron Nola (3-2) took the loss after allowing four runs, five hits and one walk with four strikeouts in four innings.

Ynoa (4-1) gave up one run, four hits and one walk with six strikeouts in six innings. He pitched out of a jam in the third after Andrew McCutchen walked and Jean Segura singled, striking out Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto and retiring Alec Bohm on a dribbler in front of the plate.

Ynoa otherwise faced no major threats. In his past four starts, the 22-year-old right-hander has a 1.11 ERA - and in four starts at Truist Park this season he has a 1.54 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings.

"I've been very impressed with his adaptability, how he takes things and adjusts and applies them," Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. "He's a bright kid. He grabs things and he understands, and the adjustments he's made since we started in July last year is really cool to see.

"He's such a good kid, and he works hard and he studies. It's good, because the guy's got skills."

The Braves carried over momentum from winning in dramatic fashion Saturday night, when they erased a two-run deficit in the ninth, a one-run deficit in the 11th and then rallied to overcome Philadelphia's three-run lead to win 8-7 in 12 innings.

"Yesterday's game was huge for us," Freeman said. "To erase three deficits and to ultimately win that game, that was a huge momentum boost going into today. Getting 100% of the fans back and giving them something to cheer about, that was a good weekend for us."

The three-time reigning NL East champions improved to 17-17 and will try to get over .500 for the first time this season when they open a three-game interleague series against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday.

Philadelphia, which dropped to 18-17, struck first Sunday when McCutchen, on the first pitch of the game, hit his fifth homer of the year.

Atlanta went ahead 4-1 in the bottom of the inning. Ronald Acuña Jr., back in the lineup after getting hit in the left pinkie finger and leaving Saturday's game in the seventh, walked, stole second and scored on Freeman's single. Freeman scored on Ozzie Albies' triple before Swanson added his fourth homer.

Austin Riley's RBI double made it 6-1 in the eighth.

Nola's ERA in nine career starts at Truist Park rose to 59 points to 4.56.

"I know he'll be frustrated, but that's baseball, too," Phillies manager Joe Girardi said. "Pitchers aren't going to be perfect. That's the bottom line. Tonight he didn't have his good stuff. He's worked really hard and maybe that had something to do with it, but I'm glad he gets an extra day (of rest) and again, I think it's really going to benefit our starters."

Atlanta reliever Tyler Matzek backpedaled off the mound and didn't look at the ball as he caught it behind his head and turned to begin a double play with Swanson at shortstop in the seventh.

The Braves announced that right-handed reliever Shane Greene signed a $1.5 million, one-year contract to rejoin the team, a deal that includes a prorated salary. Greene missed the first 38 days of the season, so he will receive about $1.19 million.

Greene was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett and will need some time to get ready before he returns to the majors. He went 1-0 with a 2.60 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings for the Atlanta bullpen last season.

Atlanta relievers began Sunday with a 4.56 ERA that ranked 22nd in the majors. It's a considerable slip from last year when the bullpen ranked fourth with a 3.50 ERA.

Greene was used primarily as a setup man for closer Mark Melancon last season and is expected to eventually fill the same role behind closer Will Smith this year.

Atlanta right-handed reliever Chris Martin, who has missed the past 29 games with right shoulder inflammation, could return early in the week. Martin met Sunday with pitching coach Rick Kranitz to make sure his mechanics are in order.

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