Sean Murphy hit two home runs, and Reynaldo Lopez pitched five scoreless innings to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 7-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday, completing a three-game series sweep.
The Braves have now won three consecutive games and six of their last seven, while the Tigers have dropped four straight. This series marked the first time Atlanta has swept a three-game series against Detroit.
Murphy was a standout, going 4-for-4 with four RBIs and three runs scored, marking the fourth multi-homer game of his career. He launched a two-run homer over the right-field wall in the third inning, his first career hit against Tigers starter Tarik Skubal. Murphy followed with a 423-foot two-run blast to left-center in the fifth inning, giving him three home runs on the season.
Lopez (5-2) delivered an impressive performance, allowing seven hits and one walk while striking out six over five innings. He lowered his ERA to a major league-leading 1.57 and extended his scoreless innings streak to 11. It was his fifth scoreless outing of the season.
The Braves’ bullpen continued the dominant pitching display. Aaron Bummer provided two scoreless innings, Daysbel Hernandez pitched a scoreless eighth with two strikeouts, and Grant Holmes finished with a perfect ninth inning.
Skubal (8-3) endured his shortest start of the season, lasting only four innings and allowing a season-high five runs (four earned) on seven hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts.
The Braves opened the scoring in the second inning with an RBI single from Ozzie Albies, followed by Murphy’s two-run homer in the third. They extended their lead to 5-0 in the fourth when Ramon Laureano hit a 426-foot homer to left-center, his second of the season and first since being called up from Triple-A Gwinnett.
Atlanta concluded their homestand with a 5-1 record and will begin a three-game series against the New York Yankees on Friday. The Tigers, finishing their road trip with a 1-5 record, return home to face the Chicago White Sox on Friday.
