Monday, July 30, 2018 07:35 PM (ET)

Freeman, Acuna homer to help Braves top Marlins

Field Level Media
Jul 30, 2018

Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman and rookie left fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. each hit solo home runs to spark the Braves to a 5-3 win over the Miami Marlins on Monday at SunTrust Park.

Freeman hit his 18th homer and Acuna hit his 10th as Atlanta won the opener of the three-game series between the two National League East clubs. Atlanta made the most of six hits. Johan Camargo was the only Brave with two hits.

Atlanta right-hander Julio Teheran (8-7) turned in a workmanlike effort. He allowed three runs on four hits and four walks in five innings. He struck out four. Teheran also singled and drove in a run.

The Atlanta bullpen, which has been inconsistent all season, worked four scoreless innings to finish the game. Shane Carle, Jesse Biddle, Brad Brach and A.J. Minter each pitched a scoreless inning. Brach, acquired from Baltimore on Sunday, worked around a hit and error in his first Atlanta appearance. Minter earned his sixth save in six tries.

The losing pitcher was Wei-Yin Chen (3-8), who beat the Braves and Teheran last week. Chen allowed five runs on five hits and three walks in five innings. Chen dropped to 1-6 in road games this season.

The Marlins scored two runs in the first inning when Brian Anderson hit a two-run homer to center field.

The Braves tied it 2-2 in the second inning. Ender Inciarte drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly, and Teheran singled two batters later after Dansby Swanson was intentionally walked.

Atlanta took the lead in the third by scoring twice. Freeman homered on a 3-2 pitch. Three batters later, Camargo doubled home the go-ahead run, but was thrown out trying to take third.

Miami cut the lead to 4-3 in the fifth inning when J.T. Realmuto doubled home Derek Dietrich.

The Braves got that run back in the fifth when Acuna homered to center field.

To make room on the roster for Brach, Atlanta placed struggling left-handed reliever Sam Freeman on the 10-day disabled list with shoulder soreness.

The Braves will activate rookie Kolby Allard to start on Tuesday and have placed veteran right-hander Brandon McCarthy on the 60-day disabled list with right knee tendenitis.

--Field Level Media

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