SEATTLE – Just when it looked as if Brian McCann alone would have to produce any and all Braves offense, Freddie Freeman lent a helping hand. A big one.
Freeman’s two-out homer in the seventh inning snapped a tie and sent the Braves and Brandon Beachy to a 3-1 win against the Seattle Mariners on Monday night at Safeco Field.
“It felt good just to put us ahead," said Freeman, who went deep to straightaway center on a first-pitch, letters-high fastball from left-hander Erik Bedard. "With Beachy pitching as well as he did, to get him a win – that was really big.”
McCann continued to sizzle with first three of the Braves’ five hits, including a first-inning homer off Bedard, who entered with a 2.93 ERA.
Beachy (3-1) allowed three hits, one run and one walk with nine strikeouts in six innings, giving the rookie right-hander 20 strikeouts with seven hits and three walks allowed in 12 innings since returning from the disabled list.
"Little upset with myself -- I’m wasting too many pitches," Beachy said to begin his postgame interview. "I’d like to get deeper in games.”
The demanding rookie has so far exceeded expectations of seemingly everyone except himself.
Closer Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth for his 21st save on a night when rookies got the win, the winning hit and the save for the Braves.
"I'm just trying to keep up with them," said 34-year-old Braves reliever Scott Linebrink, who entered the game to induce an inning-ending double-play grounder with two on in the seventh.
Bedard (4-6) had allowed only two homers in his previous 10 starts before giving up a pair to Braves left-handed hitters in the opener of an interleague series in the Braves’ first visit to Seattle since 2003.
McCann and Freeman lead the Braves with four homers apiece off lefties.
McCann has hit .361 with five doubles, 10 homers and 19 RBIs in his past 23 games, including five homers in his past eight games.
"Mac’s on right now," Freeman said. "Curveball, fastball, lefty, righty, he’s hitting ‘em all. It’s awesome to see.”
Earlier Monday, the latest fan-voting update in showed him with a seemingly insurmountable lead for a starting spot on the National League All-Star team, which would be his first start and sixth consecutive All-Star appearance.
McCann hit his 14th homer in the first inning, then singled in the fourth and again to lead off the seventh. Those were the Braves only three hits until Freeman hit a 410-foot homer to center that gave the Braves a 3-1 lead and delighted hundreds of vocal Braves fans among a crowd of 26,467.
He crushed a letters-high, first-pitch fastball with a quick stroke. Impressive.
“Especially for a young kid, and especially facing Bedard, a tough left-hander who’s been tough on left-handers," said manager Fredi Gonzalez, whose Braves cut their deficit to 4-1/2 games behind first-place Philadelphia in the National League East standings.
"To hit a home run – him and Mac – but for Freddie to hit it to straightaway center in this ballpark, it's not a cheapie. You’ve got to hit it to get it out of here," Gonzalez said.
Beachy was outstanding in his second start since returning from a five-week DL stint for an oblique strain. After striking out a career-high 11 and allowing one run and three hits in six innings last week against Toronto, he continued his American League binge against the Mariners.
He’s 3-0 with a 2.08 ERA in his past seven starts, with 49 strikeouts and eight walks in 39 innings.
“His fastball -- he’s been able to command it," Gonzalez said. "And he’s been able to throw a curveball, his breaking pitch, and then his changeup just keeps getting better and better.”
The Braves evened their record at 2-2 on a six-game trip that started with a series loss at San Diego, where they had only two hits and blew a 1-0 lead in the eighth inning of a 4-1 loss on Sunday.
They didn’t get a whole lot more hits than that Monday, but they got enough against a Mariners team that has struggled even more at the plate than the Braves have.
The Mariners' only run came on an Adam Kennedy leadoff homer in the fourth inning. He hit a 3-and-1 fastball, the kind of pitch -- and count -- Beachy said he needs to stay away from.
“I’m falling behind. I’m getting 3-0, 3-1 [counts] and guys are selling out trying to hit fastballs out of the park," he said. "I gave it to him. He got one.”
But it was the only one. And it wasn't enough, not after Freeman stepped up to assist McCann in the manufacture of offense.
