Duvall 10th HR in Sept, Braves top Orioles, pad NL East lead

BALTIMORE (AP) — Adam Duvall tied a Braves record with his 10th homer in September, and Atlanta used the collective work of six pitchers to beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-1 Tuesday night.

Freddie Freeman had three hits, including a pair of RBI doubles, to help the Braves bounce back from a 14-1 drubbing by Baltimore one night earlier.

The victory, combined with Miami’s loss to Boston, left Atlanta with a 3 1/2-game lead in the NL East as the abbreviated 60-game schedule nears its conclusion. The Braves have 11 games left and Miami has 14 to go.

Duvall hit a solo shot off Thomas Eshelman (3-1) to make it 2-0 in the fourth inning. It was his 15th home run of the season and 10th in 15 games this month, matching the Braves mark for September shared by sluggers Dale Murphy (1983) and Chipper Jones (1999).

The score stayed that way until Freeman doubled and scored in a three-run ninth.

With Freeman riding a 10-game hitting streak, Duvall regularly going deep and several others knocking the ball around, the Braves have weapons beyond their formidable bullpen.

“It’s very impressive," Duvall said. “I’ve been on some good offensive lineups, but this one is top tier. Day in and day out, you almost expect it every day.”

Injuries to several members of the starting rotation have forced the Braves to rely more heavily on their batters, and for the most part they've delivered.

“It’s been a little surprising," manager Brian Snitker said. “They’ve all gotten it going together. In our circumstances, thank God we did. If we had to pick something to jell with what we’ve been through, that’d be the one aspect we really needed.”

Huascar Ynoa allowed two hits over four innings and the bullpen gave up just two hits the rest of the way. Former Orioles reliever Darren...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Duvall-10th-HR-in-Sept-Braves-top-Orioles-pad-15570394.php