CHICAGO (AP) — Max Fried dominated through six innings in his return from the injured list, Sean Murphy and Marcell Ozuna homered on back-to-back pitches in Atlanta’s seven-run fourth inning and the Braves cooled off the Chicago Cubs 8-0 Friday.
Fried allowed three baserunners, all on singles, in his first start since May 5 as he came back from a left forearm strain. Austin Riley added a deep solo shot in the seventh for major league-leading Atlanta, which has won three straight and six of seven.
Fried (3-1), a runner-up for the NL Cy Young Award last season, struck out eight before exiting after 72 pitches. The wiry 29-year-old left-hander retired the first 12 Cubs hitters with no hard contact before Cody Bellinger singled up the middle to lead off the fifth.
Bellinger finished with two of Chicago’s four hits. The Cubs entered having won three straight and 13 of 16.
Braves hitters, who lead the majors with 209 home runs, went deep consecutively for the the second straight game and for the 14th time this season.
Ronald Acuña Jr. had two of his three hits — a single and an RBI triple — in the fourth as Atlanta sent 11 hitters to the plate. Ozzie Albies, Matt Olson and Orlando Arcia doubled in the outburst.
Brad Hand, acquired from Colorado at Tuesday's trade deadline, relieved Fried in the seventh to make his debut with the Braves. He allowed a hit in one inning.
Chicago starter Kyle Hendricks set down the first nine Atlanta batters before the Braves erupted. Hendricks (4-6) yielded seven runs on eight hits while striking out three and walking none in four innings
Hayden Wesneski followed with three innings of one-hit relief. Catcher Tucker Barnhart tossed a scoreless ninth.
Acuña singled to lead off the fourth, then scored on Riley’s groundout. Olson doubled in a run before scoring on Murphy’s line shot to the left-field bleachers that made it 4-0.
Ozuna followed with a 439-foot blast that reached Waveland Avenue. Michael Harris knocked in a run with a single, then scored on Acuña’s triple down the right field line to extend the lead to 7-0.
FRIED VS CUBS
Fried improved to 5-0 against the Cubs for his career. He earned his first major league win at Wrigley Field on Sept. 3, 2017.
SWANSON STORY
Cubs All-Star SS Dansby Swanson was 0 for 3 and struck out twice as he faced the Braves, his former team, for the first time since signing a $177 million, seven-year contract with the Cubs last December.
Swanson, a Georgia native, played his first seven seasons with Atlanta starting in 2016 at age 22.
BRAVES MOVE
To make room for Fried on the roster, the Braves designated OF Dalton Guthrie for assignment.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Braves: LHP Dylan Lee (left shoulder inflammation) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday.
Cubs: RHP Brad Boxberger (right forearm strain) and RHP Ethan Roberts (Tommy John surgery) were slated to throw bullpen sessions on Friday. ... RHP Nick Burdi (appendectomy) was set to toss live batting practice at the team’s Arizona training facility on Friday.
UP NEXT
Atlanta RHP Bryce Elder (8-2, 3.18) takes the mound on Saturday. The Cubs had not yet named a starter.
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