Brewers 11, Braves 0
ATLANTA -- Hot-hitting right fielder Ryan Braun had two doubles, a home run and reached base five times to help the Milwaukee Brewers to an 11-0 win over the Atlanta Braves on Friday at Turner Field.
Braun went 3-for-3 with four RBIs and scored twice. He hit a two-run homer in the first inning, walked and scored in the fourth, doubled in two runs in the fifth, reached on catcher's interference in the sixth and doubled in the eighth.
Braun is hitting .358 over his last 16 games and has raised his average to .273. He was hitting .222 on May 5.
The winning pitcher was reliever Michael Blazek (4-1). The rookie threw a season-long three innings, allowing no runs, one hit and three strikeouts in relief of Wily Peralta, who left the game because of soreness in his left side. Blazek also picked up his first career hit and RBI in the seventh inning.
Corey Knebel struck out the side in pitching a scoreless eighth and Neal Cotts worked a perfect ninth to help the Brewers secure their third shutout.
The losing pitcher was Eric Stults (1-5), an emergency starter when Alex Wood became ill with a stomach virus on Friday morning
Milwaukee starter Wily Peralta was not involved in the decision. He left the game after pitching four scoreless innings because of tightness in his side. Peralta had allowed one hit, one walk and one strikeout.
The Brewers jumped on top in the first inning when right fielder Ryan Braun hit a two-run homer to right field, his 11th of the season.
Milwaukee batted around in the fourth, chased Stultz and scored seven runs to take a 9-0 lead. Most of the trouble occurred with two outs when Stultz intentionally walked catcher Martin Maldonado, who had one hit in his last 29 at-bats, to load the bases and face Peralta.
But Peralta, who does not have a hit all season, worked a walk to push one run across and set the rally in full motion. Shortstop Luis Sardinas drove in a run with a sharp infield single to end the night for Stultz, who allowed seven runs on three hits and five walks in 3 2/3 innings.
Center fielder Carlos Gomez greeted right-hander Trevor Cahill with an RBI single. Left fielder Khris Davis followed by ripping a ground-rule double to drive in two runs and Braun completed the inning with a two-run double.
The Brewers made it 10-0 with a run in the fifth. First baseman Jason Rogers, who opened the inning with an infield single, came around to score on a double play.
NOTES: Braves LHP Alex Wood was scratched from his start on Friday when he came down with a stomach virus. He was replaced by LHP Eric Stultz, who had been dropped from the rotation but had not yet pitched in relief. Wood's next scheduled start is May 27 in Los Angeles, but he could pitch sooner. ... Milwaukee LHP Will Smith received an eight game suspension after being ejected from Thursday's game for having a foreign substance on his right forearm. He will remain on the active roster while he appeals the suspension. ... Starting pitchers for Saturday's game are Milwaukee RHP Mike Fiers against Atlanta RHP Shelby Miller. Fiers grew up as a Braves fan in Florida and will make his first appearance against Atlanta. Miller pitched 8 2/3 innings of no-hit ball in his last start against Miami before settling for a two-hitter.