Ramón Laureano hit a home run for the second game in a row, helping the Atlanta Braves finish their 10-game road trip with a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.
Laureano continued his strong performance against the Angels, similar to his time with Oakland. The right fielder gave Atlanta a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning by hitting a curveball from Jack Kochanowicz (1-3) 442 feet over the left-center field wall.
This was Laureano’s 14th home run in 69 games against the Angels. He went 4 for 11 in the weekend series and was 10 for 29 with four home runs and four RBIs during the road trip.
“I really have no idea. It’s not like I see the ball very well here but it just happens, I guess,” Laureano said about his success against the Angels.
Charlie Morton (7-7) struck out seven batters in 5 1/3 innings for Atlanta, which finished its trip with a 6-4 record. Raisel Iglesias closed the game with a perfect ninth inning for his 26th save in 28 chances.
“There were some rough games in there, but any time you can come West and finish over .500, that’s pretty good,” manager Brian Snitker said.
With a record of 66-58, Atlanta is seven games behind the NL East leader Philadelphia, heading into a crucial three-game series starting Tuesday. The Braves hold a two-game lead over the Mets for the final NL wild-card spot.
“I think you get excited for every series this time of year, especially where we’re at,” Snitker said. “We’re fighting for our lives here. I don’t think any one series is any bigger than the next from here on out.”
The Braves also have an injury concern going into the Phillies series, as third baseman Austin Riley left the game in the first inning after being hit on the right hand. Preliminary X-rays and CT scans were inconclusive, with more tests scheduled for Monday in Atlanta.
Morton did not allow a hit through four innings but faced trouble in the fifth.
Brandon Drury started the inning with a single, Matt Thaiss walked, and Jo Adell had a base hit to load the bases. Drury scored when Mickey Moniak was hit by a pitch, but the Angels couldn’t add more runs after Michael Stefanic fouled out and Taylor Ward grounded into a double play.
