Jurickson Profar belted a go-ahead, two-run homer in the sixth inning on Sunday to help the visiting Atlanta Braves post a 5-4 victory and record a three-game sweep of the Cleveland Guardians.
Profar, Ozzie Albies and Nick Allen each tallied a pair of hits for Atlanta, which won its season-high fifth straight game and its ninth in the last 11.
Erick Fedde started for the Braves, allowing four runs on six hits in four innings. He also struck out five and walked three. Aaron Bummer (3-2) threw two scoreless innings in relief to record the victory.
Logan Allen started for Cleveland, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits in 4 2/3 innings, striking out six and walking three. Bo Naylor went 4-for-5 with an RBI for the Guardians, who have dropped four of their last five.
After Nacho Alvarez Jr. doubled to begin the sixth, Profar belted his seventh homer of the season off reliever Nic Enright (2-1) to give the Braves a 5-4 edge.
Cleveland threatened in the bottom of the eighth, as Atlanta’s Pierce Johnson walked both Nolan Jones and Angel Martinez to begin the inning. Steven Kwan then bunted into a popout before Daniel Schneemann’s groundout and Kyle Manzardo’s flyout preserved the Braves’ 5-4 lead.
Atlanta closer Raisel Iglesias allowed Naylor’s leadoff single in the ninth but struck out Brayan Rocchio, retired Gabriel Arias and struck out Jones to record his 19th save of the season.
The Braves struck first in the second inning as Michael Harris II and Albies singled before Sean Murphy’s walk loaded the bases with one out. Alvarez’s run-scoring groundout then gave the Braves a 1-0 edge.
Kwan began the third with a single for Cleveland and advanced to third on Schneemann’s ground-rule double. After Fedde struck out Jose Ramirez, Profar had Kyle Manzardo’s fly ball fall out of his glove that allowed Kwan to score the tying run. Naylor then doubled in Schneemann to give Cleveland a 2-1 lead.
In the fourth, Jones and Kwan singled before Schneemann’s two-run triple extended the Guardians’ advantage to 4-1.
Allen’s leadoff single in the fifth was followed two outs later by walks to Ronald Acuna Jr. and Marcell Ozuna to load the bases. Allen then scored on Martinez’s throwing error, chasing Logan Allen from the game.
Albies welcomed the reliever with a single off Enright, who allowed two runs on four hits over 1 1/3 innings, which drove in Acuna to pull the Braves within one.
–Field Level Media
