ATLANTA – Andrew Knizner hit a three-run homer, Adolis García added a two-run shot and the Texas Rangers avoided a three-game sweep with a 6-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday night.
Evan Carter also went deep as the defending World Series champions erased an early 3-0 deficit and snapped Atlanta’s six-game winning streak. Michael Lorenzen (2-0) bounced back from a rough start, giving up three runs and three hits with seven strikeouts in six innings.
David Robertson worked 1 2/3 innings in relief and Kirby Yates got four strikeouts in his third save.
“The home run was great to get us ahead, but with that lineup there it’s all about throwing and executing pitches for the rest of the game,” Knizner said. “Lorenzen, Robertson and Yates did an excellent job. These are the guys who held it together for us.”
Marcell Ozuna launched his major league-leading ninth home run for the Braves, a three-run shot off Lorenzen in the first inning.
Atlanta rookie Darius Vines (1-1) allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings while striking out six and walking two. He was optioned to the minors after the game.
Carter’s solo shot in the fourth and Knizner’s shot later in the inning gave Texas a 4-3 lead. García hit Tyler Matzek in the eighth to make it 6-3.
Aided by García’s error in right field throwing a fly ball, the Braves got a run back in the bottom half on Austin Riley’s RBI single. Atlanta had two runners on with no one out, but Robertson struck out Matt Olson and retired Ozuna on a pop-up. Yates came in and struck out Orlando Arcia to end the inning.
“Robertson, what a job he did with some of the things that were going on out there,” Rangers coach Bruce Bochy said. “He bent his neck and had to get past some really good hitters. … I can’t say enough about how he stood his ground.”
Carter also had a single and made two diving catches in left field.
Knizner, the Rangers’ backup catcher, entered the game 1-for-16 this season but finished with two hits. His three-run homer to right was followed by singles by Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Smith.
Ozuna scored with two outs in the first. From there, Lorenzen dominated the Braves’ potent lineup, giving up just one hit over the next five innings as the Rangers rallied.
Atlanta backup catcher Chadwick Tromp threw out two runners trying to steal.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Braves: Manager Brian Snitker said catcher Sean Murphy is stepping up his fielding activities but has not been cleared to hit while he recovers from an oblique injury. … Second baseman Ozzie Albies has been doing light fielding exercises as he recovers from a broken toe.
NEXT
Rangers: RHP Dane Dunning (2-1, 3.91 ERA) will face Mariners RHP Logan Gilbert (1-0, 2.33) in the opener of a three-game series at Texas on Tuesday.
Braves: RHP Bryce Elder will be called up from Triple-A Gwinnett to make his first major league start this season on Monday night against Marlins LHP Ryan Weathers (2-1, 2.70 ERA) in Atlanta. Elder made 31 starts last year and was 12-4 with a 3.81 ERA. He was selected to the NL All-Star team, but struggled in the second half and was hit hard in his only playoff appearance against the Phillies.
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