ATLANTA _ Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman waited 10 years for his first career grand slam. He waited almost two full days for his second.
Freeman's grand slam continued the Braves' homer onslaught and pushed them past the Nationals, 10-3, on Sunday afternoon at Truist Park. It won't be remembered as the prettiest series _ nor a bullpen masterpiece _ but the Braves salvaged a split.
Leading 3-1, the Braves chased Nationals starter Patrick Corbin with a single and walk in the sixth. Reliever Kyle Finnegan walked Dansby Swanson to give Freeman his second bases-loaded at-bat of the day.
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Five pitches later, Freeman scooped a sinker to left center for his second grand slam of the series. Entering Friday, Freeman had 5,882 plate appearances without a bases-loaded homer. On Sunday afternoon, he had two within 10 plate appearances.
Freeman's wife Chelsea, who recently announced she's pregnant with twins, best summed it up with a tweet: "I guess everything comes in twos now."
Notes from Sunday:
_ Lost in the Braves' offensive excellence was starter Josh Tomlin, who held the Nationals to one run on three hits over six innings. He retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced.
Tomlin is starting games out of necessity, and it's yielded mixed results, but he's fared better than the team's group of young starters. Tomlin throws strikes, even if plenty end up in the seats, and continued doing so Sunday, not issuing a walk.
It's unclear how long Tomlin will remain a starter, but for now, he's providing a semblance of stability that most others have not. As important as Tomlin was in last year's bullpen, the Braves couldn't have expected him to be even more crucial this time around when they signed him to a minor-league deal as spring training began.
_ Marcell Ozuna hit his 13th homer, tying him with Mookie Betts for the second most in the National League. He added a three-run double in the seventh after Freeman drew a 15-pitch walk to load the bases.
Over an eight-game hitting streak, Ozuna is hitting .485 with five doubles, five homers and 15 RBIs. He's hit safely in 18 of 19 games.
_ Ozuna has led the Braves' long-ball barrage: They've hit 19 home runs over their past six games. They set a franchise record by hitting three or more homers in five consecutive games, but that run ended Sunday when they only hit two.
_ The Braves and Marlins will begin a three-game series Monday afternoon. Ian Anderson will make his third career start, but first against a National League team. The Braves will embark on a 10-game road trip _ their final trip of the regular season _ following the series.
