Atlanta Bats Bail Out Teheran, Braves Beat Angels 6-3
The Braves went to Los Angeles still without slugger Freddie Freeman, and just prior to the series the Angels learned they would be without Mike Trout.
With each team down a franchise player, the Atlanta Braves (22-27) got back on track with a 6-3 win in the first of four on the road in Anaheim Monday night.
Julio Teheran gave up a solo home run to former teammate Andrelton Simmons in the bottom of the second. The solo shot put the Angels up 1-0.
That early lead wouldn’t last long for L.A., however, as Atlanta put up a six spot in the top of the third inning on a two-run double from Matt Adams, a Matt Kemp run on a fielding error, a Rio Ruiz RBI single and a Danny Santana two-run double.
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Albert Pujols made got a run back for Los Angeles in the fourth inning, inching closer to the 600 mark with a solo homer. Luis Valbuena got Teheran for yet another solo shot in the same inning on a homer that needed umpire review.
Still up 6-3, Teheran got into a sticky situation in the seventh as the Angels loaded the bases and was pulled after 91 pitches in favor of Jose Ramirez. A 3-1 count to Cameron Maybin made things tense, but a double play ended the inning, giving Julio a final line of three runs on six hits in 6.1 innings. He struck out five and walked only one.
After the Braves failed to get anything going in the top of the eighth, Arodys Vizcaino came on for Atlanta in the bottom half of the inning. He gave up a walk, but a dandy play from Dansby Swanson helped the put away the side without any damage.
The Braves went scoreless again in the top of the ninth, and Jim Johnson finished off Los Angeles for a 6-3 Atlanta win, moving Tehran to 4-4 on the season.
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Atlanta and Los Angeles will face off for game two in the four game series on Tuesday night at 10:07 p.m. ET.