Only a tiring arm could slow Braves right-hander Williams Perez. Braves hitters made sure Dodgers lefty Alex Wood didn’t last much longer in his return to Turner Field.
After sweeping the middling Marlins in Miami, the Braves returned home Tuesday and beat the high-priced Dodgers 8-1 for their fourth straight victory following an 0-9 start. The Braves joined this year’s Twins as the only teams in major league baseball history to win four consecutive games after starting 0-9 or worse.
“It’s not the way we wanted to start, lose nine and win four,” Braves outfielder Jeff Francouer said. “At the same time, screw it, might as well keep it going.”
Tyler Flowers hit RBI singles in the first, third and fourth innings and Francoeur had two RBIs as the Braves raced out to a 6-0 lead against Wood. Flowers went 4-for-4 to tie his career high for hits in a game.
The Dodgers have the largest payroll in baseball, and even with some of those expensive players on the disabled list they came to town tied for first in the NL West after winning four of their last five games. But Perez limited the Dodgers to two hits and no runs over 3 1/3 innings before departing after throwing 56 pitches.
Perez made an emergency start on short rest after the Braves scratched scheduled starter Julio Teheran (illness). Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez pulled Perez after Adrian Gonzalez and Yasiel Puig hit back-to-back singles with one out in the third inning and a 4-0 lead.
Weber, who was just promoted from Triple-A Gwinnett, finished the inning with no runs surrendered. He allowed one run over 3 2/3 innings.
Wood faced the Braves for the first time since they sent him to the Dodgers last July as part of a three-team trade. He was shaky from the start but his team’s defense made things worse with two errors and a passed ball leading to three unearned runs.
Wood allowed seven hits and walked three batters over four innings. He walked center fielder Mallex Smith with the bases loaded in the third inning.
