ATLANTA (AP) — Trea Turner had three hits, including a home run, Freddie Freeman reached base three times in his emotional return to Atlanta and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Braves 4-1 on Friday night.
Julio Urías (5-6) handed the Braves just their fourth loss in June, allowing one run on three hits with nine strikeouts in six innings.
The Braves, who remained four games behind the first-place New York Mets in the NL East, fell to 18-4 this month.
The Dodgers absorbed bad news for their pitching staff before and during the game. Left-hander Andrew Heaney was placed on the 10-day injured list with left shoulder inflammation. Right-hander Daniel Hudson exited in the eighth with an apparent left knee injury.
Matt Olson led off the ninth with his second hit, a single. Dodgers closer Craig Kimbrel recovered with three quick outs to earn his 13th save in 14 chances.
Freeman was in the spotlight for the NL West leaders in his much-anticipated return to Atlanta.
The veteran slugger had one hit, a sixth-inning single. He walked twice and scored two runs. Freeman, the 2020 NL MVP who helped lead the Braves to last season’s World Series championship, received ovations from fans in the sellout crowd of 42,105 before the game and before his first at-bat.
Freeman was overcome with emotion in a pregame news conference as he said, “I love the Braves organization with all my heart. That will never change.”
Freeman shed more tears when he was presented with his World Series ring by Braves manager Brian Snitker before the game.
The star first baseman signed a $162 million, six-year deal with the Dodgers in the offseason after he was unable to reach an agreement with the Braves.
Turner led off the game with a single and scored on Will Smith’s single. Freeman walked and scored on…