May 17, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) is checked by the trainer while standing next to manager Brian Snitker (43) after being hit by a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning at SunTrust Park. Photo Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
ATLANTA — Kurt Suzuki capped a six-run first-inning with a three-run homer, and the Atlanta Braves continued their onslaught against Toronto Blue Jays pitching with an 8-4 victory on Wednesday night.
The Braves have scored 27 runs while winning the first three games of the home-and-home interleague series, but they lost slugger Freddie Freeman midway through the first of two games in Atlanta.
Freeman, who leads the National League with 14 homers and is batting .341, was replaced by a pinch runner in the fifth inning after being hit on the inside of his left hand by a fastball from Blue Jays reliever Aaron Loop.
There was no immediate update on the severity of Freeman’s injury, but he left the game in obvious pain.
Freeman was the seventh batter hit by the Blue Jays in the three games, and things got testy late in the game.
Benches emptied in the seventh inning and again in the eighth after Jose Bautista, who had three hits, did a pronounced bat flip after hitting his sixth homer of the season, against reliever Eric O’Flaherty.
Mike Foltynewicz (2-4) was the beneficiary of Braves’ early offense against Joe Biagini (1-2), winning his second straight start.
Foltynewicz worked six innings and allowed six hits and three runs, most of the damage against him coming on a homer by Justin Smoak.
Biagini had thrown five scoreless innings last Friday in Toronto during a victory over Seattle, but the Braves were up 6-0 before the converted reliever got an out in his third career start.
Biagini, who hurt himself by committing a throwing error on a possible double play, walked in a run, gave up a two-run hit to Nick Markakis and then grooved a 0-1 fastball to Suzuki, who blasted his second homer of the season into the seats in left-center for the final three runs.
Biagini retired the final 12 batters he faced in his four-inning outing. He wound up charged with six runs (five earned) on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts.
Smoak hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning, turning around a 1-2 fastball that registered 99 mph for his ninth of the season, and Foltynewicz allowed a fifth-inning run to score on a wild pitch.
NOTES: The Braves recalled rookie INF Johan Camargo from Triple-A Gwinnett after placing 3B Adonis Garcia (left Achilles tendinitis) on the 10-day disabled list. … Blue Jays SS Troy Tulowitzki (strained right hamstring) won’t come off the DL any earlier than this weekend in Baltimore. Tulowitzki, who was hurt April 21, will play his third minor league rehab game Thursday. … Wednesday was the first anniversary of Brian Snitker taking over as Braves manager after Fredi Gonzalez was fired. … The four-game, home-and-home interleague series concludes Thursday night, with Braves RHP Julio Teheran (3-3, 4.08 ERA) trying to end a personal three-game home losing streak against Blue Jays RHP Marcus Stroman (3-2, 3.38 ERA).
