Keuchel's arm, bat lead Braves past White Sox

Atlanta southpaw Dallas Keuchel won his third straight start and highlighted a six-run outburst with a two-run single to send the Braves to an 11-5 win over the visiting Chicago White Sox on Saturday. Keuchel's base hit to the center field produced his first two RBIs of the season and capped the rally that put the Braves ahead to stay for their third straight win. Keuchel (6-5) was productive on the mound, too. He pitched six innings and allowed two runs on nine hits and three strikeouts.

The win came at a cost though as Freddie Freeman left the game for the Braves in the sixth after being hit by a pitch on the left foot. Chicago lost its fifth straight.

The Braves knocked out Chicago starter Reynaldo Lopez (8-12) in the first inning when they sent 11 batters to the plate. It was the shortest start of the season for Lopez, who allowed six hits and one walk in two-thirds of an inning. His ERA rose from 5.08 to 5.41. The White Sox struck for a run in the first on Yoan Moncada's RBI single.

The Braves' six-run rally included an RBI double from Dansby Swanson, as well as RBI singles from Tyler Flowers and Rafael Ortega, a ground-rule double from Billy Hamilton and Keuchel's two-run knock. The Braves added another run in the second inning on Matt Joyce's run-scoring single.

The White Sox made it 7-2 with a run in the fourth on Welington Castillo's single. Chicago scored three times in the seventh to make it 7-5. Eloy Jimenez singled home a run and Yolmer Sanchez doubled in a run and scored when right fielder Joyce booted Adam Engel's fly ball.

But the Braves answered with three runs in the bottom of the seventh. Ronald Acuna Jr. had a sacrifice fly, Swanson walked with the bases loaded and Hamilton scored on a wild pitch. Atlanta's Josh Donaldson hit his 33rd homer of the season in the eighth.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)