Braves top Tigers 7-4, 1st home series win vs AL since ’16

ATLANTA (AP) — Dansby Swanson homered, drove in three runs and scored the tiebreaker on Freddie Freeman’s double in the eighth inning as the Atlanta Braves beat the Detroit Tigers 7-4 on Sunday.

Atlanta took two of three from the Tigers for its first home interleague series win since also winning two of three against Detroit in 2016. Atlanta was 0-5-3 in its last eight home series against American League teams.

Braves starter Julio Teheran pitched five scoreless innings and left with a 3-0 lead.

The Tigers pulled even off Jacob Webb in the eighth on back-to-back homers to left field — a two-run shot by Grayson Greiner and a tying liner by JaCoby Jones. Christin Stewart added a ninth-inning homer off Braves closer Luke Jackson.

It was 3-all when Swanson drew a one-out walk from Joe Jiménez (2-3) in the eighth and scored when Freeman lined his 299th career double into the right field corner.

After walking Josh Donaldson, Jiménez fielded Austin Riley’s grounder before making a wild throw toward second base that sailed into center field for an error, allowing Freeman to score. Donaldson scored on Ozzie Albies‘ deep fly ball to center field. Pinch-hitter Charlie Culberson’s triple to center field drove in Riley.

Teheran doubled down the left field line off Matthew Boyd in the third and moved to third base on a wild pitch. With two outs, Swanson hit a fastball into the left field seats.

Pinch-hitter Matt Joyce doubled in the fifth and scored on Swanson’s double past third baseman Brandon Dixon.

Since the start of May, Teheran has allowed only three earned runs in six starts.

The Tigers were again frustrated in the seventh when Castellanos hit into an inning-ending double play with runners on first and second.

Boyd entered the game with a streak of 12 scoreless innings over two starts before giving up three runs on five hits. The left-hander struck out nine in five innings.

Touki Toussaint (3-0) recorded one out in the eighth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: The team is awaiting opinions of an MRI on 1B Miguel Cabrera’s right knee. He left Friday night’s game and has dealt with knee soreness since spring training. He was held out Sunday for the second straight day. … IF Josh Harrison (left hamstring strain) and IF Jordy Mercer (right quad strain) are expected to see specialist Dr. Daniel E. Cooper on Monday in Dallas.

Braves: Ronald Acuña Jr. was a target for wild throws in the first. He was safe on an infield single when Dixon’s throw from third base hit his shoulder. Acuña flexed his shoulder and remained in the game before being hit again on his back by Boyd’s errant pickoff attempt. Acuña advanced to second before Boyd recorded three straight strikeouts.

UP NEXT

Tigers: After concluding their nine-game road trip, the Tigers are off Monday before opening a home series against Tampa Bay on Tuesday night. LHP Ryan Carpenter (0-2, 7.58) is scheduled to face LHP Blake Snell (3-4, 3.06).

Braves: Following an off day on Monday, Atlanta opens a series at Pittsburgh on Tuesday night when LHP Max Fried (7-3, 3.19) is scheduled to face LHP Steven Brault (2-1, 5.87).