Donaldson, Acuna help lead Braves to 5-3 win over Padres

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Josh Donaldson homered twice and drove in four runs, Ronald Acuna Jr. had a 455-foot shot and Dallas Keuchel pitched seven strong innings to lead the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves to a 5-3 victory against the San Diego Padres on Friday night.

Keuchel (3-2) held San Diego to one run and six hits, struck out five and walked four in his fifth start since signing as a free agent on June 7. He also started the Braves’ final game before the All-Star break, pitching 7 1/3 strong innings in a win against Miami.

His only mistake was allowing a homer to Manny Machado leading off the sixth, his 21st. Luke Jackson allowed a run in the ninth en route to his 15th save.

Donaldson hit his 19th and 20th homers. It was his 18th career multihomer game and second this season.

Donaldson and Acuna hit impressive home runs off Dinelson Lamet (0-2), who was pitching at home for the first time since the 2017 season. He missed all of 2018 after undergoing Tommy John surgery and returned on July 4, when he pitched well in a loss at the Los Angeles Dodgers.

After Dansby Swanson doubled and Freddie Freeman walked with one out in the first, Donaldson drove a pitch 400 feet to right-center.

Acuna, the NL Rookie of the Year in 2018, led off the fifth with an impressive shot to left-center, his 22nd.

Donaldson connected again off reliever Matt Strahm with two outs in the eighth.

Lamet allowed four runs and five hits in five innings, struck out seven and walked two.

UMPIRE INJURED

Home plate umpire Dana DeMuth left the game after being hit on the left arm by a foul ball by Freddie Freeman in the first inning. After an 11-minute delay, Angel Hernandez moved from first base to behind the plate and the game continued with a three-man crew.

DEBUT

Padres reliever Andres Munoz made his MLB debut with an impressive scoreless sixth in which he was above 100 mph with several pitches, including one clocked at 101.9 mph. He walked Nick Markakis before getting Austin Riley to ground into a double play and then struck out Brian McCann.

UP NEXT

Braves: RHP Julio Teheran (5-6, 3.75) is scheduled to start

Padres: LHP Joey Lucchesi (7-4, 3.94) is scheduled to make his 18th start.

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