Milwaukee Brewers

Chacin, Perez pace Brewers to 7-2 win over Braves

Published Jul. 6, 2018 12:01 a.m. ET

MILWAUKEE -- Jhoulys Chacin threw seven solid innings and Hernan Perez homered among his three hits, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to a 7-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night in a matchup of first-place teams.

NL Central Division-leading Milwaukee won its fourth game in a row to go 17 games over .500 (52-35) for the first time since July 1, 2014, when the Brewers were 51-34.

Chacin (7-3) gave up three hits and two earned runs while matching a season high with seven strikeouts in what tied for his longest outing this year. The right-hander was 0-2 in his previous three starts while allowing 10 runs in 15 2/3 innings.

Dan Jennings pitched two perfect innings for his first save this season, and second of his career.

NL East-leading Atlanta dropped its third consecutive game after winning four straight -- and lost for the first time this season on a Thursday (7-1).

Braves left-hander Max Fried (1-3) lasted only three innings in his third start of the season, giving up four earned runs and four hits with three walks.

https://youtu.be/mb5S1Z_QlNk

Atlanta gave Fried a 2-0 lead in the first, but he gave up a run in the bottom of the frame and did not help his cause in the second. After a leadoff triple by Perez and a walk to Keon Broxton, Milwaukee tied it at 2 on a single by Tyler Saladino. Fried failed to hold the runners on first and second by not even looking at them, so Broxton and Saladino converted a double steal. Erik Kratz's groundout scored Broxton to give Milwaukee a 3-2 lead.

Then, Fried not only walked Chacin, he fired a wild pitch that bounced off the backstop on ball four. Catcher Tyler Flowers retrieved the ball and threw to Fried covering the plate. But Saladino - who appeared to be an easy out - slid awkwardly in front of the plate and knocked it out of the pitcher's glove. Saladino got up and stepped on the plate for a 4-2 lead.

https://youtu.be/jkGw1D-JBRM

Perez hit a two-run homer -- his fifth -- off reliever Dan Winkler in the eighth.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Braves: RHP Julio Tehran is not in Milwaukee after coming down with an illness while the team was in New York. Since he was not scheduled to start against the Brewers, the Braves sent him back to Atlanta and he will start Tuesday.

Brewers: INF Saladino (left ankle sprain) was activated from the disabled list and INF Eric Sogard was designated for assignment. Saladino had been out since May 30.

UP NEXT

Braves: RHP Mike Foltynewicz (6-4, 2.02) is 1-1 all-time against Milwaukee.

Brewers: Rookie RHP Freddy Peralta (3-1, 2.28) makes his sixth start.