ATLANTA _ Nineteen hits allowed.
No problem.
The Braves still defeated the Brewers 8-7 at SunTrust Park on Sunday for a key win in the National League playoff race. Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson hit home runs as the Braves erased a two-run deficit in a back-and-forth game to take two of three games from the Brewers in the weekend series.
The Brewers and Braves were the top two teams in the National League wild-card race entering the game, separated by .005 percentage points.
The Braves won with nine hits but three were home runs. The Brewers will also lament leaving 13 runners on base in addition to the impressive hit total.
Albies drilled a pitch over the left-field fence to lead off the seventh inning and give the Braves the 8-7 lead. It was the second baseman's 21st home run of the season and 57th extra base hit.
The blast came one inning after Swanson hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning to tie the game at 7 and get starter Sean Newcomb off the hook long after he had been lifted. Swanson's shot to left field scored Tyler Flowers, who had been hit by a pitch. It was Swanson's ninth home run of the season.
Newcomb lasted just four innings and surrendered 12 hits, five runs (all earned) and a home run with two strikeouts and two walks on Sunday. He threw 96 pitches, 58 for strikes. In a 10-3 loss at the Brewers on July 8, Newcomb allowed five hits and five earned runs.
The last time he pitched at SunTrust Park, Newcomb came a strike away from a no-hitter. All thought of that was put to rest after he allowed two first-inning singles.
The Braves have gotten big performances from Newcomb after losses this season. He was making his 14th start after a defeat and had an 8-1 record with a 1.82 ERA and a .188 average against in the starts.
The Brewers scored three times _ and left the bases loaded _ in the fourth inning as they batted around. Jesus Aguilar blasted a three-run home run, his 29th of the season, in the inning to score the runs. Newcomb had to face the bases-loaded situation after the big blow in part because of his failure to cover first base on a grounder to Freddie Freeman and a passed ball. He was able to escape further damage but the Brewers had a 5-4 lead.
The Braves struck first with a two-out rally in the first inning. Freeman doubled to extend his hitting streak to 14 games. Nick Markakis followed with a stand-up triple into the right-field corner to drive in the game's first run. Johan Camargo followed with an RBI single for three straight hits and a 2-0 lead.
The lead was short-lived.
Brewers starter Chris Anderson, who was not around long enough for a decision, delivered a two-run single in the top of the second. Newcomb escaped further damage by getting a groundout with runners at second and third.
The tie game was short-lived too.
Ronald Acuna deposited a 2-0 pitch into the left-field seats with two outs in the bottom of the second. The blast scored Flowers who reached on a single and gave the Braves a 4-2 lead. Acuna's 15th homer makes him the third Brave in history to reach the mark before his 21st birthday, joining Andruw Jones (26) and Eddie Mathews (25).
Acuna continued his impressive hitting since being moved into the leadoff spot. In 21 games since manager Brian Snitker made the move after the All-Star break, Acuna has eight home runs, five doubles and a triple while hitting .317.
Aguilar added an RBI double in the fifth inning to give the Brewers a 6-4 lead. The first baseman went 3-for-4 on the day.
Freeman and Markakis did it again with back-to-back, two-out doubles to plate a run in the fifth inning to cut the Braves' deficit to 6-5. After the Brewers added a sixth-inning run, Swanson hit his game-tying home run in the bottom of the frame.
Albies turned in the game-winner an inning later.
