Braves Win 10th Straight, Beat Royals 6-3
The Atlanta Braves are swinging the bats as well as anyone in the MLB right now and they proved it again Tuesday in a 6-3 win over the Kansas City Royals. The Braves hit five home runs in the game, including three homers in the eighth inning to beat the Royals for their 10th straight win.
Kris Medlen got the start for the Braves and received a no decision after giving up two runs off six hits in seven innings of work. Medlen struck out five in the contest before handing the ball over to Eric O’Flaherty to start the eighth in a 2-2 tie.
The Braves trailed 2-1 until the seventh when Juan Francisco hit his second homer of the game off Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie. Francisco’s third homer of the year tied it at two before the Braves broke out with four runs in the eighth.
Kelvin Herrera took over for Guthrie in the eighth for the Royals and couldn’t make it out of the inning. After getting B.J. Upton to groundout to start the eighth, Herrera gave up back-to-back solo shots to Jason Heyward and Justin Upton.
Evan Gattis then fouled out to first before Dan Uggla hit the third homer of the inning with a big fly to deep left. Herrera then walked Juan Francisco before being relieved by Aaron Crow. First baseman Chris Johnson padded the Braves lead with an RBI-single to shallow right to make it 6-2.
Luis Avalan came in to close out the Royals but was shaky in the ninth and left a runner at third for closer Craig Kimbrel after a wild pitch and a balk. Kimbrel stepped in and gave up an RBI-single to Alex Gordon before Alcides Escobar grounded out to end the game.
Kimbrel has yet to give up a run in seven appearances this season as Gordon’s RBI-single was credited to Avalan. Atlanta is now 12-1 to start the season and hold a 4.5 game lead over the Washington Nationals for first place in the NL East.
The Braves meet the Royals again Wednesday before hitting the road for a four-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates swept the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend and are currently just two games back of the St. Louis Cardinals for the top of the NL Central.
Can the Atlanta Braves’ bats stay hot as they look to finish off the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday?
[Image via Keith Allison]
