Mauricio Dubon homered for the third straight game and helped the Atlanta Braves defeat the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3 on Friday in the opener of their three-game series.
Dubon was 2-for-4 with his sixth home run of the year, a double, two runs and three RBIs. It is the first time in his career that he has gone deep in three consecutive games. He is 5-for-11 over the last three games with seven RBIs.
The winning pitcher was ex-Pirate Martin Perez (4-3). The veteran pitched five innings and allowed three runs on three hits and two walks, striking out five.
The Atlanta bullpen covered the final four innings without allowing a run. Didier Fuentes, Dylan Lee and Robert Suarez each pitched a 1-2-3 inning. Closer Raisel Iglesias worked around a walk and a single to start the ninth and earned his 12th save.
The losing pitcher was Mitch Keller (5-3), who threw 4 2/3 innings and allowed six runs on seven hits and three walks, striking out four. It was his first road loss of the season. Keller has allowed a combined 13 runs in his last two starts with his ERA soaring to 4.81.
The Braves scored a run in the second inning when Austin Riley walked and scored on a two-out single from Ronald Acuna Jr.
But the Pirates responded with a three-run outburst in the third inning. Spencer Horwitz walked, took third on Jared Triolo’s line-drive double to center field and scored on Henry Davis’ sacrifice fly. Nick Gonzales followed with an RBI single and former Brave Marcell Ozuna lined an opposite-field single to right to produce another run.
Atlanta tied the game 3-3 in the bottom half when Ozzie Albies walked and scored on Dubon’s two-run homer to left. The blast allowed the Braves to extend their home run streak to eight consecutive games.
The Braves regained the lead with a three-run rally in the fifth. Dubon doubled in a run, Dominic Smith had a sacrifice fly and Austin Riley banged an RBI double off the brick wall in right field.
