ATLANTA (AP) — Max Fried won his sixth straight decision by pitching six sharp innings and the Atlanta Braves earned their eighth consecutive victory, 3-1 over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night.
Adam Duvall, Dansby Swanson and Travis d’Arnaud each drove in a run for the defending World Series champion Braves, whose winning streak is their longest since they took nine in a row last August. Atlanta has outscored opponents 55-21 during the streak.
Fried (6-2) pitched out of a jam in the first and the third before Jack Suwinski hit his eighth homer to trim the lead to 3-1 in the fourth and end a streak of 16 consecutive scoreless innings for the lefty.
Fried worked around eight hits, striking out eight and walking none. His 44 wins since the start of 2019 are most in the NL and second to the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole, with 48.
In his last 10 starts, Fried is 6-0 with a 2.11 ERA and has pitched at least six innings each time he’s taken a turn in the rotation. The Braves are 8-2 over that span.
Ronald Acuña Jr. was hit by a pitch in the third, stole second and scored when Swanson lifted an opposite-field bloop single to right. Swanson scored from first on d’Arnaud’s two-out double down the left-field line to make it 3-0.
Atlanta took a 1-0 lead in the second when d’Arnaud walked, advanced on a single and a grounder and scored on Duvall’s single.
Will Smith faced the minimum in the seventh for the Braves, A.J. Minter pitched the eighth and closer Kenley Jansen got his 16th save in 19 chances with a perfect ninth.
Pirates starter JT Brubaker (0-6) retired 12 straight batters before Michael Harris II singled with two outs in the seventh. Brubaker gave up three runs and six hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.
Fried stranded four runners in scoring position. He was helped by an adept double play turned by Swanson at shortstop to end the fifth.
Fried allowed three hits in the first, but his pickoff at first base of leadoff hitter Ke’Bryan Hayes proved fortuitous when Bryan Reynolds and Michael Chavis followed with singles. He struck out Diego Castillo to end the threat.
Fried’s 16 pickoffs since the start of 2019 are most in the majors. He has 21 in his career.
GOING DEEP
Suwinski’s eight homers are most among NL rookies, and his three long balls against lefties are the second most by a Pittsburgh rookie left-handed hitter since Garrett Jones hit six in 2009. Suwinski has hit safely in each of his last eight games, going 12 for 30 with two doubles, three homers and five RBIs.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates RHP Nick Mears (elbow surgery) had his rehab transferred from to Triple-A Indianapolis after he struck out six in four scoreless innings — a span of four relief appearances — with low-A Bradenton. ... Pittsburgh RHP Heath Hembree (right calf strain) has begun a rehab assignment with Indianapolis. He pitched a scoreless inning on Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Pittsburgh’s Roansy Contreras (1-0, 1.93 ERA) will face Spencer Strider (1-2, 2.76) in the second game of a four-game series. Contreras will make his fourth start and seventh appearance. Strider will make his third start and 14th appearance.
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