Ozzie Albies hit a pair of home runs, including a game-ending two-run shot in the ninth inning, as the Atlanta Braves earned a 4-3 victory over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.
The Braves have won the first two games between the National League division leaders and handed Milwaukee its third straight loss. It was Atlanta’s fifth walk-off win.
Trailing 3-2 with one out in the ninth, Matt Olson reached on a single to right field. Albies, who hit a home run in the fifth inning, was able to check his swing on a two-strike pitch and avoid a strikeout. He then hit the next pitch from Aaron Ashby into the right field seats for the game winner and his health of the season.
Dylan Lee (3-0), who pitched a scoreless ninth, earned the win. Ashby (10-1) took the loss.
Milwaukee starter Kyle Harrison gave up two runs on four hits over 6 1/3 innings with no walks and seven strikeouts.
Atlanta starter Chris Sale was working for the first time in 10 days. He pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed two runs, both unearned, on five hits and one walk with seven strikeouts.
Harrison set down the first 12 Atlanta batters until Albies led off the fifth inning with a solo homer to right-center field for a 1-0 lead.
The Brewers scored twice in the sixth to take the lead. They loaded the bases against Sale, after a one-out fielding error when Albies bobbled Brice Turang’s grounder at second base, and Gary Sanchez drove home Jackson Chourio with a sacrifice fly to right field. Andrew Vaughn brought home Turang with a bloop single into center field.
Chourio drove in a run against reliever Didier Fuentes on a fielder’s choice in the seventh that scored Cooper Pratt and gave Milwaukee a 3-1 lead.
The Braves cut the margin to 3-2 by scoring a run in the seventh. With runners on second and third, reliever Austin Uribe retired Austin Riley on a ground ball to third base that brought home Albies.
–Field Level Media
