Brewers hang on for 5-4 win over Braves

MILWAUKEE — Josh Hader struck out Ozzie Albies with two outs and the bases loaded in the ninth to preserve the Milwaukee Brewers' 5-4 win over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.

Christian Yelich hit his 34th homer of the season to tie the Dodgers' Cody Bellinger for the major league lead. It was Yelich's third home run in four games.

The Brewers jumped out to an early lead on Manny Piña's two-run homer in the second inning. Yelich made it 3-0 in the sixth before Keston Hiura and Piña added RBI hits later in the inning to make it 5-0.

The Braves rallied with two runs in the eighth on Josh Donaldson's two-run homer and two runs in the ninth on his two-run single.

Pinch-hitters Charlie Culberson and Johan Camargo led off the ninth with singles. With two outs, Freddie Freeman struck out on a pitch in the dirt, but reached first base after the ball got away from Pina and Pina committed an error with his throw to first.

Donaldson hit a two-run single to make it 5-4 before Hader struck out Albies and earned his 21st save.

Milwaukee starter Chase Anderson (5-2) gave up only one hit, a double to Brian McCann in the second inning, in 5 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out three.

Dallas Keuchel allowed five runs, four earned, in 5 2/3 innings. After giving up a two-run home run to Piña in the second inning, Keuchel (3-3) retired 11 of the next 13 batters. But the Brewers got to him in the sixth, pushing the lead to 5-0 before he was pulled.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Brewers: LHP Gio Gonzalez (arm fatigue), after two rehab starts, will start for Milwaukee on Saturday against the Diamondbacks in Arizona, manager Craig Counsell said. RHP Adrian Houser moves to the bullpen. ... RHP Jimmy Nelson (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment at Class A Wisconsin on Sunday, Counsell said.

UP NEXT

Braves: RHP Julio Teheran (5-6, 3.71 ERA) will start at home against the Nationals' Stephen Strasburg (11-4, 3.46 ERA).

Brewers: Zach Davies (7-2, 2.89 ERA) faces the Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly (7-9, 3.93 ERA) in Arizona.