DETROIT — Michael Harris went 4 for 4 with a homer and four RBIs as the Atlanta Braves beat the Detroit Tigers 10-6 on Wednesday in the first game of a doubleheader. They finished off the sweep with a 6-5 win the second game.
In the opening contest, Ronald Acuna had three hits, including a homer, and drove in three runs to help the NL-East leading Braves avoid losing three straight for the first time in a month.
Atlanta ace Spencer Strider (7-2) benefitted from pitching for a high-scoring team, picking up the win despite giving up five runs and seven hits in five innings. The right-hander gave up three homers, walked two, hit a batter and struck out six to increase his major-league leading total to 127 this season.
Tigers rookie and Gainesville native Reese Olson (0-2) gave up seven runs — six earned — on five hits and two walks over three innings. He started strong retiring seven of the first nine batters he faced, including a perfect 1-2-3 first inning. In the third, after Harris singled with one out, Acuna blasted a towering two-run home run to center field. that ignited a seven-run inning. In the fourth, five straight batters reached after a Travis d'Arnaud strikeout, with Harris knocking Olson out of the game with a two-run double for a 6-4 lead.
Detroit ended a nine-game losing streak Monday night in 10 innings against Atlanta after trailing by three in the ninth, but couldn't pull off another comeback in the second game of the series. Eric Haase hit a bases-loaded single to pull within three runs, but Jonathan Schoop followed with a grounder up the middle that was tracked down by second baseman Ozzie Albies and his throw to first ended the game.
The Tigers got off to a powerful start in the first inning when Spencer Torkelson hit a 436-foot homer to left-center that went off the brick wall beyond the fence.
Miguel Cabrera hit a two-run homer, his first of the year and No. 508 of his career, and Haase in the next at-bat had a solo shot that gave the Tigers a 4-0 lead.
The cushion didn't last long.
Acuna hit a two-run homer — his 14th — in the third and later in the game, the speedy outfielder stole his NL-leading 29th base.
Harris hit a tiebreaking, two-run double to put Atlanta ahead in a five-run inning that gave the Braves a 7-4 lead. The reigning NL Rookie of the Year, who has turned around his season offensively over the last week, hit his fifth homer in the seventh to restore a three-run lead.
Detroit had chances to keep up with the Braves by loading the bases against Strider in the fifth, but came away with only one run on a wild pitch before Andy Ibanez struck out to end the inning. The Tigers loaded the bases again in the eighth against Nick Anderson, who struck out Matt Vierling to get out of the jam.
In the second game, Eddie Rosario hit a tiebreaking homer in the sixth inning Ozzie Albies and Acuna Jr. had solo homers earlier in the second game for the NL-East leading Braves, who scored in five of the first six innings. Collin McHugh pitched three perfect innings after starter Dylan Dodd allowed five runs on six hits and three walks over four innings.
