First-place Braves win 8th in row, beat skidding Orioles 4-3

BALTIMORE (AP) — Austin Riley put Atlanta ahead for good with a homer in the fifth inning, and the Braves stretched their winning streak to eight games by beating Baltimore 5-4 Saturday night, the Orioles' 17th consecutive defeat.

Joc Pederson also homered for the Braves, who have won 15 of 17 to take over first place in the NL East. Atlanta has peeled off 12 straight road wins, a single-season franchise record and the longest run in the majors since Cleveland won 14 in a row in 2017.

The Braves overcame four solo home runs by Baltimore, including two by Anthony Santander. The Orioles’ skid is their second-longest since the team came to Baltimore in 1954, behind the 0-21 start to the 1988 season.

After a run-scoring fly ball in the ninth by Jorge Soler put Atlanta up 5-3, Santander connected in the bottom half. It was the first time Baltimore lost by only one run during the streak. The Orioles have been outscored 146-46 since their last victory on Aug 2.

Ryan Mountcastle and Ramón Urias went deep for the Orioles, who were locked in a tie game before Riley hit his 27th homer off Matt Harvey (6-13) for a 4-3 lead.

Baltimore hit three homers off Drew Smyly (9-3), who struck out eight over five innings. The lefty is 7-0 over 14 starts since April 30.

Luke Jackson struck out Pedro Severino with runners at the corners in the eighth before Will Smith worked the ninth, earning his 27th save despite allowing Santander's second homer of the game.

After Mountcastle homered in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to 13 games, Baltimore savored the rare sensation of playing with a lead until the third. Harvey issued a walk and hit a batter before Dansby Swanson doubled in two runs to make it 2-1.

Pederson led off the fourth with a towering shot to center, his fourth home...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/First-place-Braves-win-8th-in-row-beat-skidding-16403300.php