Freeman blast lifts Braves over Brewers
MILWAUKEE -- Freddie Freeman hit a two-run home run in the ninth in the Atlanta Braves' 10-8 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night at Miller Park.
Ryan Braun, Orlando Arcia and Domingo Santana all homered for Milwaukee, but the Brewers blew a pair of four-run leads.
Chase Anderson gave up a season-high four runs on four hits and three walks with two strikeouts over seven innings for the Brewers, who had won three straight.
Atlanta got five innings out of Bartolo Colon, who gave up six runs on 10 hits and two walks while striking out five.
A two-run double by Keon Broxton and Arcia's three-run shot put the Brewers up 4-0 in the second.
Anderson had breezed through his first two innings but didn't fare quite as well in the third, as the first five Atlanta batters reached. Ender Inciarte made it a 4-1 game with a base hit to left and a bases-loaded double from Matt Kemp tied the game at 4.
Eric Thames led off the fifth with a single that brought up Ryan Braun, who crushed an 0-1 fastball at the letters to left for his seventh of the season, putting the Brewers back in front, 6-4.
Jason Motte took over for Colon in the seventh and allowed a leadoff double. Domingo Santana came on to hit for Anderson and made it an 8-4 game with this third homer of the season.
The Braves responded with three in the seventh off Jacob Barnes, who hadn't allowed a run this season. Inciarte drove in a pair with a double to left and scored on Adonis Garcia's base hit before Corey Knebel came on and snuffed out the rally.
Carlos Torres couldn't hold the lead in the eighth. A strikeout and two singles led to a pinch-hit RBI single by Kurt Suzuki, tying the game at 8.
Garcia opened the ninth with a double off Neftali Feliz (0-3) who missed his mark on a 1-1 fastball to Freeman that put the Braves on top.
Jim Johnson sealed it with a perfect ninth and earned his fourth save.
NOTES: Brewers RHP Junior Guerra has been throwing bullpen sessions with no issue as he works his way back from a strained right calf injury suffered three innings into his Opening Day start. ... Milwaukee has led at some point in 22 of its 24 games this season, including each of the last 17. ... Braves 2B Brandon Phillips got another day off Friday while he recovers from a strained left groin. Manager Brian Snitker hopes to have Phillips back in the lineup Saturday. ... Snitker said RHP R.A. Dickey, who left Thursday's start after five innings with a left quadriceps strain, is feeling better and expects to make his next start.