Wednesday, June 21, 2017 07:35 PM (ET)

Kemp gives Braves another walk-off win

The Sports Xchange
Jun 22, 2017

ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Braves pulled off their third walk-off victory in the past five games, and this time Matt Kemp was the hero.

Kemp hit a two-run homer in the 11th inning off San Francisco Giants reliever Cory Gearrin to give the Braves a 5-3 win Wednesday night.

Nick Markakis walked with one out, and Kemp connected on a 0-1 pitch for an opposite-field homer to right field.

It was Kemp's 12th homer of the season and his seventh career game-ending hit.

Hunter Pence's fifth homer of the season, over the center field fence on a first pitch from Braves closer Jim Johnson with one out in the ninth inning, tied the game and cost Sean Newcomb his first major league victory.

Newcomb allowed three hits and one run over six innings while lowering his ERA to 1.96.

A downpour shortly before the scheduled first pitch delayed the start 75 minutes. Monday's series opener began 44 minutes late because of rain.

In the second inning, Brandon Belt's two-out triple down the right field line scored Pence, who had singled, to give the Giants a lead.

The Braves went ahead in the fourth as Matt Adams followed a single by Markakis with a homer to right-center field on a 2-2 pitch from Giants starter Jeff Samardzija.

Atlanta's Tyler Flowers homered with the bases empty in the seventh, but a wild pitch in the eighth made it a one-run game.

Newcomb, who walked one and struck out three, retired his last 13 batters before being pulled after 80 pitches, and the Braves' bullpen couldn't protect the lead.

The left-hander had lost his first two starts despite giving up just three runs over 12 1/3 innings.

Samardzija allowed three runs on six hits in seven innings. The right-hander walked none and struck out eight, throwing 60 of his 79 pitches for strikes.

Flowers' sixth homer, which came on a 2-1 pitch, hit the top of the right-field fence and bounced off the foul pole screen. An umpire review confirmed the home run.

Adams has hit 11 of his 12 homers since joining the Braves on May 21. He has 29 RBIs in 30 games with Atlanta.

Arodys Vizcaino threw a wild pitch following a triple by Denard Span to give the Giants their run in the eighth.

Luke Jackson (2-0), who got the final two outs in the top of the 11th around a walk, got credit for the victory.

NOTES: Braves 1B Freddie Freeman, who broke his left wrist when hit by a pitch May 17, is ahead of schedule in his recovery and hopes to return around the All-Star Game, playing third base. "I'm 100 percent go on it," said Freeman, who suggested the switch, which would allow 1B Matt Adams to stay in the lineup. ... Giants 3B Eduardo Nunez sat out for the fifth time in six games and will also miss Thursday's series finale because of a sore hamstring. Manager Bruce Bochy said Nunez is headed to the DL if he doesn't show improvement Friday, when the Giants return to San Francisco. ... Braves LHP Jamie Garcia (2-5, 3.59 ERA) will oppose Giants RHP Matt Cain (3-6, 4.99) on Thursday. ... Giants LHP Madison Bumgarner, injured in a dirt-bike accident April 20, threw 35 pitches Wednesday in his second simulated game at Scottsdale, Ariz. He is scheduled to pitch three innings in a rookie-level Arizona League game Sunday.
Covers 25 Years Logo Established in 1995,
Covers is the world
leader in sports
betting information.
Covers is verified safe by: Evalon Logo GPWA Logo GDPR Logo GeoTrust Logo Evalon Logo