Braves Down Pirates for Eighth Straight Win
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ATLANTA (AP) -- Max Fried won his sixth straight decision by pitching six sharp innings and the Atlanta Braves earned their eighth consecutive victory, 3-1 over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night.
Adam Duvall, Dansby Swanson and Travis d'Arnaud each drove in a run for the defending World Series champion Braves, whose winning streak is their longest since they took nine in a row last August. Atlanta has outscored opponents 55-21 during the streak.
Fried (6-2) pitched out of a jam in the first and the third before Jack Suwinski hit his eighth homer to trim the lead to 3-1 in the fourth and end a streak of 16 consecutive scoreless innings for the lefty.
Fried worked around eight hits, striking out eight and walking none. His 44 wins since the start of 2019 are most in the NL and second to the Yankees' Gerrit Cole, with 48.
In his last 10 starts, Fried is 6-0 with a 2.11 ERA and has pitched at least six innings each time he's taken a turn in the rotation. The Braves are 8-2 over that span.
Ronald Acuna Jr. was hit by a pitch in the third, stole second and scored when Swanson lifted an opposite-field bloop single to right. Swanson scored from first on d'Arnaud's two-out double down the left-field line to make it 3-0.
Atlanta took a 1-0 lead in the second when d'Arnaud walked, advanced on a single and a grounder and scored on Duvall's single.
Will Smith faced the minimum in the seventh for the Braves, A.J. Minter pitched the eighth and closer Kenley Jansen got his 16th save in 19 chances with a perfect ninth.
Pirates starter JT Brubaker (0-6) retired 12 straight batters before Michael Harris II singled with two outs in the seventh. Brubaker gave up three runs and six hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.
Fried stranded four runners in scoring position. He was helped by an adept double play turned by Swanson at shortstop to end the fifth.
Fried allowed three hits in the first, but his pickoff at first base of leadoff hitter Ke'Bryan Hayes proved fortuitous when Bryan Reynolds and Michael Chavis followed with singles. He struck out Diego Castillo to end the threat.
Fried's 16 pickoffs since the start of 2019 are most in the majors. He has 21 in his career.
GOING DEEP
Suwinski's eight homers are most among NL rookies, and his three long balls against lefties are the second most by a Pittsburgh rookie left-handed hitter since Garrett Jones hit six in 2009. Suwinski has hit safely in each of his last eight games, going 12 for 30 with two doubles, three homers and five RBIs.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Pirates RHP Nick Mears (elbow surgery) had his rehab transferred from to Triple-A Indianapolis after he struck out six in four scoreless innings -- a span of four relief appearances -- with low-A Bradenton. … Pittsburgh RHP Heath Hembree (right calf strain) has begun a rehab assignment with Indianapolis. He pitched a scoreless inning on Wednesday.
GUARDIANS 8, ATHLETICS 4
CLEVELAND -- Andres Gimenez delivered the go-ahead RBI single in Cleveland's four-run eighth inning as the Guardians defeated the Athletics.
A pair of rookies carried the Cleveland offense as Oscar Gonzalez went 4-for-4 with a double and a RBI and Steven Kwan was 3-for-4 with a RBI.
PHILLIES 8, BREWERS 3
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Odubel Herrera homered as interim manager Rob Thomson and the streaking Philadelphia Phillies won their season-high seventh straight game, beating the sagging Milwaukee Brewers.
Thomson, 6-0 since replacing Joe Girardi, is off to the best start by a first-time major league manager since Boston's Joe Morgan won his first 12 games from July 15-25, 1988, the Elias Sports Bureau said.
The NL Central-leading Brewers lost their season-worst sixth in a row.
Didi Gregorius singled, tripled, doubled and drove in a run, and Seranthony Dominguez (3-1) pitched one inning Reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes (3-4) allowed three runs -- one earned -- in 4 1/3 innings.
DODGERS 11, WHITE SOX 9
CHICAGO (AP) -- Max Muncy broke open the game with a three-run homer in the sixth inning after White Sox manager Tony La Russa ordered an intentional walk to Trea Turner with a 1-2 count against left-hander Bennett Sousa.
Muncy had five RBIs in his return after missing 11 games with left elbow inflammation. He entered hitting .150 to Turner's .303.
Los Angeles trailed 4-0 before a six-run fifth. Brusdar Graterol (2-2) won, and Dylan Cease (4-3) was the loser.
DIAMONDBACKS 5, REDS 4
CINCINNATI (AP) -- Josh Rojas hit a two-run, single for a 4-3 lead four-run rally in the ninth as the Diamondbacks gained a four-game split.
Arizona went into the ninth trailing 3-1, but got help when Tony Santillan (0-1) threw a wild pitch, then threw away a bunt for an error,
Mark Melancon (2-6), the second of three relievers for the Diamondbacks, got the win. Ian Kennedy pitched the ninth for his fourth save, despite allowing Matt Reynolds' solo homer.
A foul ball in the fourth inning broke the right thumb of Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson, who is expected to miss four to six weeks.
ROCKIES 4, GIANTS 2
DENVER (AP) -- Yonathan Daza looped a tiebreaking single into right field, capping a three-run fourth inning fueled by three errors. San Francisco made a season-high four errors, including a pair in the fourth by second baseman Thairo Estrada.
Charlie Blackmon had three hits for the Rockies, who are 3-6 against the Giants this season.
Austin Gomber (3-6) allowed two runs and five hits in six innings, and Alex Colome pitched a one-hit ninth for his third save. Logan Webb (5-2) allowed three runs -- two earned -- and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.
RAYS 2, CARDINALS 1
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Shane McClanahan (7-2) allowed an unearned run and two hits in eight innings and struck out nine, winning his fifth consecutive start as Tampa Bay completed a three-game sweep.
Ji-Man Choi hit a two-run homer in the fourth off Miles Mikolas (4-4), who pitched a three-hitter.
Jason Adam worked the ninth for his second save, finishing a game that took 1 hour, 54 minutes as the Rays moved a season-high 11 games over .500.