Tyler Mahle threw five solid innings to continue his impressive run and Michael Harris II homered to help the Atlanta Braves post a 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday in the MLB Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pa.
Mahle (5-10) allowed one run on six hits while striking out four and walking two. Mahle has a 1.52 ERA in four starts since being traded from the San Francisco Giants. Raisel Iglesias earned a four-out save for Atlanta, which had dropped five of its last six games.
Milwaukee starter Shane Drohan (6-5) threw five innings and allowed two runs and eight hits. He struck out five and walked three for the Brewers, who had won six of their last seven.
Iglesias allowed a leadoff single to Jackson Chourio and walked Brice Turang to begin the bottom of the ninth. After William Contreras flew out to the warning track, Iglesias began a 1-6-3 double play against Jake Bauers to secure his 27th save in 30 tries.
In the top of the second, Ozzie Albies and Lane Thomas singled before Mauricio Dubon slashed a ground-rule double to give the Braves a 1-0 edge.
Milwaukee tied the game in the third, as Turang singled and scored on Bauers’ RBI base hit.
Atlanta’s Drake Baldwin doubled to begin the fourth and Thomas followed that with his second single to place runners at the corners. Drohan retired the next two batters, but Sean Murphy legged out an infield single to give the Braves a 2-1 lead.
Grant Anderson spelled Drohan in the sixth and allowed Dubon’s one-out walk and Austin Riley’s single. After he struck out Murphy, DL Hall entered as the Brewers’ second reliever of the inning. Atlanta doubled its lead as Harris’ soft grounder to first was bobbled by Andrew Vaughn and allowed Dubon to score.
Mahle began the bottom of the sixth, but Vaughn led off with a single and Christian Yelich reached on Matt Olson’s throwing error. Didier Fuentes then entered and got Joey Ortiz to ground into a double play before Luis Lara’s groundout ended the threat.
Lara had replaced Garrett Mitchell, who left with a forearm contusion after being hit by a pitch in the fourth.
Fuentes threw two scoreless innings in relief. Dylan Lee relieved Fuentes in the eighth and surrendered a double to Yelich and a two-out triple by Lara, cutting the Brewers’ deficit to 3-2.
Iglesias entered and retired Gary Sanchez to strand Lara at third.
Harris connected on his 21st homer of the season to give Atlanta an insurance run in the top of the ninth.
