MILWAUKEE _ A two-man show saved the Milwaukee Brewers from a series sweep Sunday.
Domingo Santana homered twice to provide all the offense and Matt Garza turned in a strong 6 2/3-inning start to push the Brewers past the Atlanta Braves, 4-3, at Miller Park.
Santana hit a solo homer in the fifth inning to break up a budding no-hitter by Atlanta starter Mike Foltynewicz, and then his three-run shot off Foltynewicz in the sixth helped seal it. The multihomer game was just the second of Santana's career and a positive sign from a hitter who'd entered the day just 2 for 24 on the homestand.
Garza, meanwhile, earned his first victory of the season in his second start after being reinstated from the disabled list. The outing was his second-longest in the past two seasons; he went seven innings last Aug. 31 to beat the St. Louis Cardinals.
Ender Inciarte manufactured the Braves' first-inning lead by singling on Garza's first pitch, stealing second and third and then scoring on a two-out bloop single to right-center by the sizzling Matt Kemp.
Garza surrendered three singles in all in the frame but allowed just the lone run and settled in from there.
Foltynewicz, however, was dealing from the outset.
He struck out the side in the first inning, two more in the second and retired the first 11 batters overall until Ryan Braun reached with two outs in the fourth on an error by third baseman Adonis Garcia.
Santana finally got the Brewers on the board with a long homer to straightaway center to open the fifth, a drive that represented the Brewers' first ball out of the infield against the right-hander.
Garza had retired 15 consecutive batters after Nick Markakis' first-inning single before Freddie Freeman hit a two-out, solo homer to right in the sixth to put the Braves back in front, 2-1.
Eric Thames started a Brewers rally in the bottom half by singling to right with one out, then after Braun reached on a fielder's choice Dansby Swanson booted what should have been a surefire ground-ball out from Hernan Perez to put two on for Santana.
Santana, first-pitch swinging, sent a slider over the wall in right for his second career two-homer game and put Milwaukee back in front, 4-2.
Garza got the first two outs in the seventh before consecutive singles knocked him from the game. The first out turned out to be a key play, as Markakis lined a shot off Garza's foot and was ruled safe by first-base umpire Brian O'Nora on a bang-bang play after Jonathan Villar fielded the carom.
Manager Craig Counsell challenged the call and it was overturned. After Counsell replaced Garza with Corey Knebel, pinch-hitter Brandon Phillips singled to cut the lead to 4-3 instead of tying the game. Knebel then got Inciarte to foul out to end the threat.
Garza's line was solid: 6 2/3 innings, three runs (earned) and no walks with seven strikeouts over 88 pitches. He'd gone just four innings in his season debut April 24 and failed to earn a decision.
Knebel used a strikeout-caught stealing to end the eighth after hitting Freeman and putting him on with one out, and Neftali Feliz threw a scoreless ninth to record his first save since April 17.
Braun left the game in the seventh with right trapezius tightness.
