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Tribune News Service
Tribune News Service
Sport
David O'Brien

Freeman streaks end but surging Braves complete sweep of Phillies

ATLANTA _ Freddie Freeman's streaks ended, but Dansby Swanson and Matt Kemp made sure the Braves kept rolling.

Swanson hit a tying homer in the sixth inning and scored from first base on Kemp's double off the right-field wall in the eighth, giving the Braves their first lead en route to a 5-2 win _ their 10th in 11 games _ that completed their second consecutive sweep of the Phillies.

Freeman went 0-for-4 to snap his 30-game hitting streak, the longest in the majors since Dan Uggla's Atlanta franchise-record 33-game streak in 2011. Freeman also snapped a 46-game on-base streak that was tied for longest in the majors this season.

The Braves have won 22 of 35 and improved to 48-46 since their 18-46 start. They are 29-25 since trading for Kemp, who's hit .289 with 15 doubles, 11 home runs and 38 RBIs for the Braves and helped boost their offensive production to 5.3 runs per game in that stretch, third-most in the majors.

Kemp has hit .347 with 15 extra-base hits and 22 RBIs in the past 26 games, and the Braves are 17-9 in that span.

With the score 1-1, Swanson led off the eighth with a walk and hustled to score on Kemp double off reliever Jeanmar Gomez. An intentional walk and hit batter later, Jace Peterson singled to drive in another run before rookie Rio Ruiz hit a routine grounder that inexplicably bounced between two Phillies infielders on the right side for a two-run single and 5-1 lead.

Each of Josh Collmenter's three starts for the Braves has been better than the one before, increasing the likelihood that he'll be back next season to pitch again for them, or at least to compete for a spot in what they say will be an improved rotation after offseason additions.

Collmenter limited the Phillies to one run and six hits (all singles) in seven innings, with no walks and four strikeouts.

Collmenter, 30, was acquired from the Cubs in a minor trade two weeks ago when the Braves needed an emergency starter to help get them through the season. He's done more than that: The former Diamondbacks opening-day starter has a 2.37 ERA in three starts while allowing 15 hits and five walks with 16 strikeouts in 17 innings.

The Phillies manufactured their only run against him in the third inning with a pair of soft singles around a hit batsman.

Swanson tied things with a sixth-inning leadoff homer against right-handed reliever Colton Murray. It was the third homer for Swanson and the Marietta native's first at Turner Field. His other two were in consecutive games Sept. 6-7 at Washington including an inside-the-the park job.

In his past 20 games Swanson has hit .354 with eight extra-base hits (three homers), 13 RBIs and an OPS over .950. It was his second homer to lead off an inning, and he's batting .394 (13-for-33) in those situations.

With Adonis Garcia on the bench so that third-base prospect Rio Ruiz could get one start Thursday, Swanson moved up from the bottom of the order to bat second for the first time in the majors. He could end up hitting second next season.

Phillies starter Jeremy Hellickson allowed just one hit and no walks with four strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings before leaving the game with a right knee sprain.

The Braves loaded the bases soon shortly after Hellickson left the game when Murray hit Kemp with a pitch with two out in the fourth inning, followed by a Markakis single and Anthony Recker walk. Peterson struck out to end that threat.

Peterson saved a run an inning later when he made a diving stop on Freddy Galvis' two-out grounder up the middle, then alertly threw to third base to catch Aaron Altherr rounding the base, and the Braves got him in a rundown for the third out. And when Peterson got a chance to hit again with bases loaded in the eighth, he came through.

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