White Sox Suffer 6th Loss In A Row Upon Falling To Atlanta
ATLANTA (AP) -- Freddie Freeman homered twice off All-Star Lucas Giolito and drove in five runs, providing all the offense for the Atlanta Braves in their 5-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.
The Braves have won four straight are 12-2 since Aug. 16, moving 30 games over .500 for the first time since 2013. They have won a season-best nine straight home games to stay 5 1/2 games ahead in the NL East.
The White Sox have lost six in a row.
Atlanta took a 2-0 lead in the first as Freeman homered to right. Giolito (14-8) retired his next 14 consecutive batters before Johan Camargo led off the sixth with a pinch-hit double and Freeman followed with a tiebreaking, 410-foot shot to center.
It marked the first time in seven starts that Giolito, who allowed four runs and four hits, gave up more three runs. He was 3-2 with a 2.25 ERA over his previous six outings.
Freeman added an RBI single in the eighth.
Julio Teheran (9-8) struck out Jose Abreu and Yoan Moncada to strand a runner at second in the first, but he floundered in the second, allowing consecutive walks and a two-run single to Giolito, the pitcher's first RBI in 13 career at-bats, to make it 2-all.
That ended a streak of 14 consecutive scoreless innings for Teheran, who gave up two runs and three hits in six innings.
The White Sox cut the lead to 4-3 in the seventh on Abreu's RBI single off Luke Jackson.
Closer Mark Melancon earned his eighth save and seventh with Atlanta by facing the minimum in the ninth.
Freeman singled to right off Ryan Goins to score a runner from second in the eighth.
TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: RHP Carson Fulmer (right hamstring strain) and LHP Manny Banuelos (shoulder inflammation) were activated from the injured list. ... Moncada was in the lineup despite feeling tightness in his right hamstring and staying in Saturday's game.
Braves: C Brian McCann (left knee sprain) was reinstated from the injured list and went 0 for 3. ... Freeman was back in the lineup after leaving Saturday's game two innings after he was hit in the left foot by a pitch.
MORE FREEMAN
It marked the second time this season and the seventh time in his career that Freeman has driven in five runs in a game. ... Freeman, who began the game tied for the major league lead in RBIs, needs two homers to become the fourth Brave to have a 40-homer, 30-double season. The previous three were Hall of Famers Eddie Mathews in 1953, Hank Aaron in 1969 and Chipper Jones in 1999.
SLUMPING
Ronald Acuna Jr. went 0 for 3 with walk and has just three hits in his last 31 at-bats. His average has dropped 15 points to .284 since Aug. 13. ... Jackson, who allowed a three-run homer on Friday, gave up a single and a walk before Abreu singled with two outs.
NABBED
Chicago's Tim Anderson was caught stealing third to end the seventh. Braves 3B Josh Donaldson kept the tag applied on his lower leg as Anderson slid past the bag.
ROSTER MOVES
Atlanta recalled utilityman Camargo, RHP Chad Sobotka and RHP Jeremy Walker from Triple-A Gwinnett.
UP NEXT
White Sox: LHP Ross Detwiler (2-4, 5.96) ERA will make his ninth start of the season when Chicago begins a four-game series at Cleveland.
Braves: RHP Mike Soroka (10-3, 2.44 ERA) will make his 25th start as Atlanta continues a nine-game homestand with a two-game series against Toronto.
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