Adonis Garcia, Braves run past slumping Pirates, 5-2
ATLANTA (AP) A big gamble by Adonis Garcia helped give the Braves their second home series win of the season.
It also gave interim manager Brian Snitker a big scare.
Garcia scored from second on an improbable stolen base attempt in the seventh inning and the Atlanta Braves beat the slumping Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2 on Thursday night despite Ryan Vogelsong's strong start.
Felipe Rivero (0-4) walked Garcia with one out in the seventh, and Garcia moved to second on Ender Inciarte's single. Garcia, who has only two steals this season, broke for third base as the left-handed Rivero held the ball on the mound.
Rivero finally threw to third, but Jung Ho Kang dropped the throw for an error, allowing Garcia to score.
''I don't know if we had that in the playbook,'' Snitker said, adding it appeared Garcia took off ''literally when (Rivero) was looking at him. ... That probably is not something we need to make a steady diet of.''
Garcia said he noticed Rivero ignoring baserunners.
''I just happened to notice on his previous pitches that the pitcher was kind of just taking one look back and then settling before going into the pitch,'' Garcia said through a translator.
Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said Rivero recovered in time to make a throw Kang should have handled.
Inciarte moved to second on the play and scored on Jeff Francoeur's pinch-hit single to center field.
The Pirates, who began the night three games behind NL wild-card leaders Los Angeles and St. Louis, have lost five of six.
The 39-year-old Vogelsong made his return after suffering facial fractures when he was hit by Jordan Lyles' pitch in his start against Colorado on May 23. He had surgery on June 2.
Vogelsong allowed only one run in six innings and left with the game tied 1-1.
''Real pro outing,'' Hurdle said. ''Fun to watch. A really blue-collar performance.''
Four of the Braves' five runs were unearned. Another error by Kang, who whiffed on Erick Aybar's grounder, helped the Braves score two run in the eighth.
David Freese cut Atlanta's lead to 3-2 with a homer to right off Chris Withrow in the eighth.
Hunter Cervenka (1-0) recorded two outs in the seventh when pinch-hitter John Jaso hit into a broken-bat double play on a grounder to first. Jaso didn't leave the batter's box. Hurdle said Jaso thought the ball was foul.
Jim Johnson pitched the ninth for his seventh save in 10 chances.
Braves rookie right-hander Tyrell Jenkins allowed one run on three hits and four walks in six innings. He has at least four walks in four straight starts.
The start of the game was delayed 1 hour, 16 minutes by rain.
HOME COOKING
The Braves improved their home record to 18-39 with only their second home series win of the season. They also won two of three from Miami May 27-29.
STREAKS
Inciarte had two hits, extending Atlanta's longest hitting streak of the season to 15 games. Aybar has a 10-game hitting streak.
BOSCAN RELEASED
The Pirates released RHP Wilfredo Boscan, who had been on the Triple-A Indianapolis DL with a strained oblique, to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Vogelsong. Boscan was 1-1 with a 6.46 ERA in six games, including one start, with Pittsburgh this season. IF Max Moroff, who made his major league debut on Sunday, was optioned to Indianapolis to open a spot on the 25-man roster.
TRAINERS ROOM
Pirates 2B Josh Harrison was 1-for-3 in his first appearance since leaving Sunday's game with right leg discomfort after colliding with Milwaukee's Keon Broxton on a play at first base. ... Hurdle said C Francisco Cervelli is feeling better after being hit by a pitch, cracking his batting helmet, on Tuesday night. Cervelli grounded out as a pinch-hitter to end the game.
UP NEXT
Pirates: Rookie RHP Jameson Taillon (2-2, 3.52) will look for his first win since June 29 at Seattle when the Pirates open a weekend series at Cincinnati on Friday night.
Braves: Rookie Joel De La Cruz (0-3, 3.80) will make his fourth start when the Braves open a road trip against Jaime Garcia and the St. Louis Cardinals.
