Jorge Soler and LaMonte Wade Jr. hit consecutive home runs to help the San Francisco Giants defeat the Atlanta Braves 5-3 on Tuesday night.
Heliot Ramos also hit a home run as San Francisco won their sixth game in eight outings. Mike Yastrzemski returned from a strained left oblique and went 2 for 2.
Hayden Birdsong earned his first Major League win by pitching five innings, allowing two runs. The right-hander, who hails from Illinois and played college baseball at Eastern Illinois, expressed gratitude to his team for their support.
“It is very special. Now I am in the books,” Birdsong said. “Can’t thank this team enough for getting behind me and playing as hard as they can.”
Camilo Doval secured his 15th save with a flawless ninth inning.
Austin Riley and Sean Murphy hit consecutive home runs against Birdsong in the second inning. Ozzie Albies added an RBI single for the Braves in the eighth.
San Francisco was trailing 2-0 before Soler and Wade hit their homers in the fifth inning off Reynaldo López. Soler’s homer was his 10th of the season, while Wade’s was his third.
“(Soler) loves hitting leadoff. He’s done a good job,” said Giants manager Bob Melvin. “He had pretty good matchup numbers against (López). You’re seeing a little less chase and a guy that takes some pitches and takes some walks and in the meantime hits some home runs.”
The Braves threatened in the fifth inning, putting runners on second and third with one out, but Birdsong struck out Jarred Kelenic and got Albies to fly out to left field.
“You have to find a different gear to get out of a jam like that,” Melvin commented.
The Giants added another run in the sixth inning when Michael Conforto doubled and later scored on an error by Braves third baseman Austin Riley.
