Verdugo’s 6th inning hit gives Braves first winning streak

“This is the boys, man. They’ve been out here working hard this year,” Verdugo said of aiding in Atlanta’s first back-to-back victories. “I think you’re starting to see a lot better at-bats from certain guys and really putting the swings on that were accustomed to seeing these guys take. Realistically, I think it was just only a matter of time.”

Verdugo, in his second game with Atlanta, went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, reached base five times, scored twice and drove in the winning run in the Braves second straight come-from-behind victory. Atlanta improved to 5-2 at home and 7-8 in April and now has a positive run differential on the season of 63-62.

Raisel Iglesias picked up his fourth save with a flawless ninth after Dylan Lee pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and Daysbel Hernandez logged a 1-2-3 seventh. Pierce Johnson (1-0) got the win for getting the final two outs in the sixth.

The Braves (7-13) will go for their first series sweep at 1:35 p.m. Sunday.

“I’ve been wondering if we ever would (have a winning streak),” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “It feels good. That’s a streak, I think, maybe, however small. But that’s a good thing. It’s great, because we’ve been working really hard to try to get to that point. Hopefully we can take it another step (Sunday).”

Atlanta starter Chris Sale’s evening began with Byron Buxton fouling off two pitches, then reaching on a swinging bunt up the third base line that Sale had to field and put in his pocket. Rookie Luke Keaschall, in his second MLB game, smoked a double into left that one-hopped the wall giving the Twins a 1-0 lead.

The Braves quickly countered in the bottom of the first with a solid single to left from Verdugo and one-out single to right from Marcell Ozuna. Matt Olson’s towering fly ball to right glanced off the wall above the 375-foot posting and went for an RBI double.

It was the 1,000th career hit for Olson.

Atlanta’s first inning run came off Minnesota’s Justin Topa who was making his first career start. Simeon Woods Richardson was initially announced as Saturday’s starter for the Twins but came out of the bullpen instead after Topa’s one inning of work.

Verdugo led off Atlanta’s third with a double into the right field corner. Austin Riley ripped a single to left and then, after an Ozuna pop up to right, Olson planted an RBI single into shallow left making it 2-1.

Carlos Correa got that run back in the top of the fourth with a solo shot into the shrubbery above the right field wall, Correa’s first homer of the season.

Buxton continued to be a pest in the fifth with a leadoff single and a stolen base. Back-to-back walks on nine pitches loaded the bases and signaled a somber exit for Sale, the 2024 Cy Young Award winner.

Rafael Montero relieved Sale and got a pair of strikeouts to end the threat. Sale was charged two earned runs over his 4 1/3 innings of work and struck out eight, but it was the fifth time in as many starts this season Sale failed to pitch into the sixth inning.

“Eh, I (freaking) sucked again,” Sale put it bluntly. “Just didn’t pitch good.”

Montero ran into trouble in the sixth by giving up a walk and a one-out hit-and-run by Trevor Larnach putting runners at the corners. Johnson arrived at the scene to face Buxton and induced a fly ball to center, a fly ball deep enough to give the Twins a 3-2 lead.

But Harris led off the sixth with a towering homer, his third of the year, off the Chop House façade to tie the game at 3-3.

Nick Allen followed Harris’ blast with a sharp single to right. Jarred Kelenic hit what looked like a home run ball, but that ball glanced off the right field wall instead and Kelenic was thrown out trying to stretch a long single into what should have been a standup double.

Allen moved to third on the play and easily scored when Verdugo delivered his decisive hit off Twins reliever Brock Stewart.

“Really, the approach is runner on third, less than two outs you gotta get the guy in, man. That’s the approach,” Verdugo said. “Obviously, you’re looking to make contact. I think early in the count you’re looking to hit it to the outfield, get a little air on it. I think when you hit two strikes it’s kind of like, just put the ball in play right? We just gotta make sure something productive happens.

“We gotta good pitch after I rolled over the changeup foul. Got a good fastball that we stayed tight on and was able to get the job done.”

Buxton was 3-for-4 for Minnesota which dropped to 7-14 and lost a 10th consecutive game to Atlanta. Woods Richardson (1-2) gave up three earned runs and seven hits over 4 1/3 innings.