The Sports Xchange
May 16, 2017
TORONTO -- Freddie Freeman hit a three-run homer, Nick Markakis had three RBIs and Bartolo Colon won for the first time since April 16 as the Atlanta Braves defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 10-6 Monday night.
Matt Kemp had four hits and a walk and scored three runs for the Braves.
Toronto's Justin Smoak hit his eighth homer of the season, a two-run shot off Josh Collmenter with one out in the bottom of the ninth.
Colon (2-4) allowed seven hits, two walks and three runs (two earned) in five innings. The 43-year-old walked two and struck out one, and his ERA fell from 7.22 to 6.80.
The Braves (14-21), who have won three of their past four games, ended the Blue Jays' season-best, five-game winning streak.
Toronto starter Mike Bolsinger (0-2) allowed eight hits, two walks and six runs (five earned) in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out three and hit three batters.
The Blue Jays pitchers finished with a franchise-high five hit batters, with Leonel Campos and Aaron Loup each hitting one.
Freeman hit his 13th homer of the season in the sixth against Campos, who took over after J.P. Howell allowed a double by Dansby Swanson and a bunt single by Ender Inciarte. Adonis Garcia capped the four-run inning with an RBI single.
Ian Krol replaced Colon in the bottom of the sixth. He walked three in 1 2/3 innings before being replaced in the seventh by Jason Motte, who allowed the second RBI double of the game by Devon Travis.
The Braves took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Bolsinger hit Brandon Phillips with a pitch with one out. Freeman's grounder forced Phillips at second.
Kemp singled Freeman to third, and Kemp took second on a poor throw to the infield by left fielder Ezequiel Carrera. Both runners scored on a single by Markakis.
Bolsinger hit Garcia with a pitch to lead off the second. Garcia stole second and continued to third on catcher Mike Ohlman's throwing error. He slid home safely on Swanson's sacrifice fly to center, and Atlanta led 3-0.
The Blue Jays (17-22) scored once in the second inning on doubles by Smoak and Travis to make it 3-1.
Atlanta added a run in the fourth on an RBI single by Swanson. Tyler Flowers led off with a single and was forced at second on a grounder to third by Garcia.
Bolsinger hit a batter for the third time in the game to send Jace Peterson to first and Garcia to second. Swanson hit a single to drive in a run, but was thrown out trying for a double by right fielder Jose Bautista.
Ohlman's first career major league hit, a single to center, scored Travis in the bottom of the fourth to cut the lead to 4-2. Travis reached first on an infield hit to shortstop and took second on Swanson's throwing error on the play.
The Braves scored twice in the fifth to lead 6-2.
Markakis singled to score Kemp, who had doubled with two outs for his third hit of the game. Flowers walked and Garcia hit an RBI single to end Bolsinger's start.
The Blue Jays cut the lead to 6-3 in the bottom of the fifth when Kevin Pillar singled and Bautista hit an RBI double.
NOTES: Toronto OF/INF Steve Pearce (strained right hamstring) went on the 10-day disabled list. He left the game Sunday against the Seattle Mariners after sliding into second with a double. ... RHP Leonel Campos was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo, where he had been optioned Sunday when RHP Aaron Sanchez (split fingernail) was reinstated from the disabled list. Campos allowed two runs in 2 1/3 innings Monday. ... Former Blue Jays RHP R.A. Dickey, now with the Braves, started and took the loss Sunday against the Miami Marlins. The knuckleballer is not scheduled to face the Blue Jays this week. ... Atlanta LHP Jaime Garcia (1-2, 4.33 ERA) will face Toronto RHP Marco Estrada (2-2, 3.12 ERA) on Tuesday.