Braves 6, White Sox 4
Brian McCann and Andrelton Simmons homered while Tim Hudson won his third consecutive start as visiting Atlanta captured the opener of the three-game series.
Hudson (7-7) improved to 3-0 in July, throwing 65 of his 99 pitches for strikes while allowing four runs on eight hits in 7 1/3 innings. Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth for his 27th save and Chris Johnson finished with three hits and an RBI for the National League East-leading Braves.
John Danks (2-7) surrendered five runs on seven hits in seven innings, dropping to 1-3 in his last five starts for Chicago. Alexei Ramirez went 3-for-4 and scored twice while Alex Rios recorded two RBIs for the White Sox, who have lost eight of their last 11.
Simmons’ ninth homer of the season, a two-run shot to left field in the third, staked Atlanta to a 2-0 advantage. Rios’ two-run double to right-center in the third tied the contest, but McCann hit a three-run homer on a 3-2 pitch from Danks into the bullpen in right field with two outs in the sixth to put the Braves ahead 5-2.
Chicago pulled within a run in the eighth on Ramirez’s RBI double to left and a run-scoring bloop single to right by Jeff Keppinger, who finished with two hits.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Atlanta RF Justin Upton returned to the lineup after missing two games last weekend with a strained left calf and went 2-for-4. … Ramirez is hitting .343 over his last 32 games. … Johnson capped his eighth three-hit performance of the season with an RBI single in the ninth inning.