ATLANTA _ The Braves have lost games in a variety of ways this season, some both unusual and wrenching. But on Thursday, they found a unique way to take a lead they wouldn't relinquish against the Pirates.
They scored the go-ahead run on a caught-stealing play in the seventh inning of a 5-2 win at Turner Field, which clinched the series and gave the Braves six wins in nine games since a five-game losing streak.
Rookie starter Tyrell Jenkins got a no-decision but was able to work out of some tight spots to limit the Pirates to one run on three hits and four walks in six innings. Reliever Hunter Cervenka picked up his first major league win.
The Braves' scoring-oddity play in the seventh went down like this: The game was tied at 1 and the Braves had runners on first and second with one out when Adonis Garcia took off for third base, trying to time left-handed reliever Felipe Rivero's delivery. But Rivero saw him, turned and threw to third base.
The throw beat Garcia there, but third baseman Jung Ho Kang tried to make a tag before he caught the ball, and when it caromed off his glove and into the grass beyond the infield, Garcia popped up and raced to the plate to score and give the Braves a 2-1 lead.
Pinch-hitter Jeff Francoer added a two-out RBI single in the inning, and after David Freese's eighth-inning homer off Braves reliever Chris Withrow cut the lead to 3-2, Nick Markakis's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning pushed it back to a two-run margin.
Hot-hitting Garcia added a two-out RBI double in the eighth and has a .370 average with 11 doubles, three homers and 13 RBIs in 23 games since July 4.
Jenkins has a 3.81 ERA in five starts since moving from the bullpen, which includes seven earned runs allowed in 3 1/3 innings of a July 24 game at Coors Field in Denver.
In his four starts at non-extreme altitude, Jenkins is 1-0 with a 1.59 ERA, with just 15 hits and four runs allowed in 22 2/3 innings. He's pitched six innings in three of four starts since lasting 4 2/3 innings of his first start July 6 at Philadelphia when he moved from the bullpen on one day's notice to fill in for an injured Julio Teheran.
Leadoff walks have been a bugaboo for Braves pitchers, and it was Eric Fryer's leadoff walk in the Pirates third inning that led directly the first run of the game. Vogelsong's sacrifice bunt advanced the runner to second and Adam Frazier's single drove him in for a 1-0 lead with one out.
Jenkins induced double-play grounders to work out of a jam in the second inning _ following a one-out walk and Josh Harrison single _ and to end the third inning, when David Freese grounded into a double play after Frazier's hit.
The Braves tied the score in the third but had a chance to do so much more after getting consecutive singles from Ender Inciarte and A.J. Pierzynski to start the inning, Inciarte's hit extending his Braves season-high hitting streak to 15 games.
There were two runners in scoring position after Jenkins' sacrifice bunt, and a Jace Peterson walk loaded the bases with one out. Erick Aybar hit a chop grounder in front of the plate that Vogelsong failed to scoop cleanly as Inciarte dashed toward the plate. Aybar was credited with an RBI single and the score was tied.
With the bases still loaded and one out, Freddie Freeman struck out and Matt Kemp lined out to the center-field warning track, where Starling Marte made a difficult running catch that saved two or three runs and ended the inning.
Freeman was 0-for-4 Thursday including 0-for-3 with two strikeouts against Vogelsong, after going 7-for-17 with two home runs against him previously. Freeman is 1-for-16 with seven strikeouts in the past four games, after going 10-for-16 with two doubles, a homer and six RBIs in the previous four.
