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A brilliant performance on the mound by Anibal Sanchez and some timely hitting helped the Atlanta Braves snap a four-game losing streak with a 5-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Braves wasted little time going to work against Brewers’ starter Aaron Wilkerson. Ender Inciarte flew out to begin the game before Ozzie Albies and Freddie Freeman hit back-to-back singles to put runners at the corners with one out. Nick Markakis followed with a walk to load the bases before Johan Camargo singled through the left side that scored Albies and Freeman to put Atlanta in front 2-0. Wilkerson battled back to escape further damage by striking out Tyler Flowers and getting Dansby Swanson to fly out to end the inning.
Sanchez took over from there and was in complete control retiring 18 straight at one point. He struck out a season-high over 6 2/3 innings including five straight at one point. He allowed just two hits and one run which came in the seventh inning.
Hernan Perez walked and stole second before Brad Miller lined a single off the back of Sanchez that caromed past Swanson at short to score Perez and cut Atlanta’s lead to 2-1. Dan Winkler replaced Sanchez and got Tyler Saladino to ground out to end the inning.
The Braves would add some insurance runs in the eighth against Milwaukee reliever Mike Zagurski. Albies got things started with a leadoff single. Freeman followed with a triple to right center to make the score 3-1. Nick Markakis hit a triple of his own to make it 4-1 to chase Zagurski from the game.
Jorge Lopez came on to start the bleeding and retired both Camargo and Charlie Culberson on ground outs before issuing back-to-back walks to Flowers and Swanson which loaded the bases. Ryan Flaherty then came on and delivered a pinch hit single to left which scored Markakis to increase the lead to 5-1.
Arodys Vizcaino worked a scoreless eighth while A.J. Minter struck out the side in the ninth to secure the win.
Freeman broke out of his slump in a big way finishing a homer shy of the cycle while going 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Albies finished with two hits while Markakis was 1-for-3 with a pair of walks.
Atlanta improves to 5-4 on their 10-game road trip. They will try to salvage a series split against the Brewers on Sunday with Sean Newcomb on the mound.