Braves 10 - 2 Diamondbacks
Final
  for this game

Freeman, Braves pound Diamondbacks

Apr 20, 2012 - 5:46 AM

Video

Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Freddie Freeman hit a pair of two-run home runs and drove in five total runs, as Atlanta waxed Arizona, 10-2, to start a four- game series at Chase Field.

Freeman has hit three home runs in the last two days and is 7-for-13 with 10 runs batted in over the last three games since getting the game off on Monday. He has raised his average from .162 to .260 this week. The Braves clubbed 16 hits, including three from Dan Uggla and two apiece from Michael Bourn, Brian McCann, Jason Heyward and Juan Francisco.

"Everybody is hitting. It's something we couldn't say last year. Everybody wasn't clicking at the same time, and that's what we're doing right now," Freeman said.

Mike Minor (2-1) was the benefactor, giving up just two runs -- one earned -- on five hits with nine strikeouts over eight frames.

A.J. Pollock and starting pitcher Todd Collmenter drove in the runs for Arizona, which is banged up with red-hot Chris Young on the disabled list and B.J. Upton out of the lineup once again. Collmenter (0-1) took the loss, giving up four runs on six hits with four strikeouts and one walk in 5 1/3 innings.

"We've been through [injury trouble] before. It's not fun to be a part of it," Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said. "We went through it last year, sometimes in baseball you have to take your lumps."

Atlanta started the assault in the first inning as Freeman launched a two-run home run to left following a walk to Martin Prado. Arizona chipped into the deficit and tied the game with runs in the third and fifth frames.

In the third, consecutive singles and a double steal had runners at second and third with nobody out. Gerardo Parra then scored on Collmenter's groundout, but Pollock flied out to center and Willie Bloomquist struck out to end the threat. Arizona then scored an unearned run in the fifth, as Henry Blanco reached on a two-base fielding error by Uggla, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored the tying run on Pollock's sacrifice fly.

The Braves broke the game open with five runs between the sixth and seventh innings. McCann singled with one out in the sixth and raced to third on Uggla's bloop single to right. Heyward then sliced a double to shallow left field, scoring McCann, and Francisco followed with a two-run single to center.

Freeman launched his second home run of the game in the seventh, a two-run shot to give the visitors a 7-2 lead. The Braves added three more in the eighth on Prado's two-run double and Freeman's RBI two-bagger.

Game Notes

After pitching a career-best 7 1/3 frames against Milwaukee, Minor again set his career-best in innings pitched...Atlanta won in Arizona for the first time since June 10, 2010...Collmenter had surrendered just one run in 13 career innings against the Braves before Thursday's start.






Related News