Wins like that don’t happen often – like once in 54 years.
Or three times in 110 seasons.
The Braves allowed 19 hits but still defeated the Brewers 8-7 at SunTrust Park on Sunday for a key win in the National League playoff race. Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson hit late home runs as the Braves erased a two-run deficit in a back-and-forth game to take two of three games from the Brewers in the weekend series.
“You don’t see it the way we did it today too often but you have to have some of those throughout the year to be a successful team in the playoffs,” Braves catcher Tyler Flowers said.
The last time the Braves allowed at least 19 hits in a nine-inning game and won was July 26, 1964. They allowed 20 hits in a 15-10 win at the Mets. Over the last 110 seasons, the franchise won in such a fashion only two other times - in 1928 and 1929.
The Braves (64-51, .557) moved percentage points ahead of the Brewers (67-54, .554) for the top wild card spot in the National League.
The Braves won despite just having nine hits but three were home runs. The Brewers will lament leaving 13 runners on base in addition to the hit total.
“At one point in the game I felt like we were eight runs down,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “There is a lot of grit in these guys. A lot of fight. Tough. That’s probably one of the hardest games we had to win all year.”
Snitker then tried to list the litany of big plays, offensively and defensively, that enabled the victory. He quickly gave up.
“I can’t even remember all of it right now,” he said. “I’m worn out.”
Albies drilled a pitch over the left-field fence to lead off the seventh inning and give the Braves the 8-7 lead and decisive run. It was the second baseman’s 21st home run of the season and 57 extra-base hit.
The blast came one inning after Swanson hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning to tie the game 7-7 and get starter Sean Newcomb off the hook long after he had been lifted. Swanson’s shot to left field scored Flowers, who had been hit by a pitch. It was Swanson’s ninth home run of the season and came as he has struggled of late.
Jonnny Venters got the victory, working the seventh inning, but not before he escaped from a bases-loaded jam.
Newcomb just as soon not see the Brewers – in Milwaukee or Atlanta.
Newcomb lasted just four innings and surrendered a career-high 12 hits, five runs (all earned) and a home run with two strikeouts and two walks on Sunday. He threw 96 pitches, 58 for strikes. In a 10-3 loss at the Brewers on July 8, Newcomb allowed five hits and five earned runs.
The last time he pitched at SunTrust Park, Newcomb came a strike away from a no-hitter. All thought of that was put to rest after he allowed two first-inning singles.
“I felt good,” Newcomb said. “Nothing was bothering me specifically. You peek at the (radar) gun every once in a while and you see it a little lower than you expected. You just don’t have it today.”
The Braves have gotten big performances from Newcomb after losses this season. He was making his 14th start after a defeat and had an 8-1 record with a 1.82 ERA and a .188 average against in the starts.
The Brewers scored three times – and left the bases loaded – in the fourth inning as they batted around. Jesus Aguilar blasted a three-run home run, his 29th of the season, in the inning to score the runs. Newcomb had to face the bases-loaded situation after the big blow in part because of his failure to cover first base on a grounder to Freddie Freeman and a passed ball. He was able to escape further damage but the Brewers had a 5-4 lead and Newcomb was done for the day.
The Braves struck first with a two-out rally in the first inning. Freeman doubled to extend his hitting streak to 14 games. Nick Markakis followed with a stand-up triple into the right-field corner to drive in the game’s first run. Johan Camargo followed with an RBI single for three straight hits and a 2-0 lead.
The lead was short-lived.
Brewers starter Chris Anderson, who was not around long enough for a decision, delivered a two-run single in the top of the second. Newcomb escaped further damage by getting a groundout with runners at second and third.
The tie game was short-lived.
Ronald Acuna deposited a 2-0 pitch into the left-field seats with two outs in the bottom of the second. The blast scored Flowers who reached on a single and gave the Braves a 4-2 lead. Acuna’s 15th homer makes him the third Brave in history to reach the mark before his 21st birthday, joining Andruw Jones (26) and Eddie Mathews (25).
Acuna continued his impressive hitting since being moved into the leadoff spot. In 21 games since manager Brian Snitker made the move after the all-star break, Acuna has eight home runs, five doubles and a triple while hitting .317.
Aguilar added an RBI double in the fifth inning to give the Brewers a 6-4 lead. The first baseman went 3-for-4 on the day. Lorenzo Cain went 4-for-6 as every Brewer position player had at least one hit.
Freeman and Markakis did it again with back-to-back, two-out doubles to plate a run in the fifth inning to cut the Braves deficit to 6-5. After the Brewers added a sixth-inning run, Swanson hit his game-tying home run in the bottom of the frame.
Albies turned in the game-winner an inning later.
Credit: ccompton@ajc.com
Credit: ccompton@ajc.com
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