SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. (Interstat) — The Atlanta Braves scored three runs in the seventh inning to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 on Sunday afternoon at Truist Park. Pittsburgh struck first with a run in the opening inning and added another in the third on a Spencer Horwitz solo home run. The Pirates held a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh. Atlanta’s Michael Harris II delivered the decisive blow, doubling to right field to drive in Dominic Smith, Mike Yastrzemski and Jorge Mateo. The three-run hit erased Pittsburgh’s lead and handed the Braves the victory. Bryce Elder started for Atlanta and tossed six innings, allowing two earned runs on two hits while striking out four. Reynaldo López (3-1) earned the win with 1⅓ scoreless innings. Didier Fuentes recorded his first save with a perfect ninth, striking out two. Bubba Chandler (2-7) took the loss despite a strong outing, striking out seven over 5⅓ innings while allowing only one hit. The Braves improved to 45-21, while the Pirates fell to 34-32. Attendance was 37,697. The game lasted 2 hours, 33 minutes.

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. (Interstat) — A three-run double by pinch-hitter Michael Harris II in the seventh inning lifted the Atlanta Braves to a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday afternoon at Truist Park, completing a three-game sweep. The Braves, who improved to 45-21, overcame a 2-0 deficit despite being held to three hits — all after the fifth inning — and stranding seven runners. The Pirates, who fell to 34-32, managed five hits but could not push across a run after the third inning. Atlanta’s Bryce Elder turned in a quality start, while reliever Reynaldo López earned the win and Didier Fuentes notched his first save. Pittsburgh struck first in the opening inning. Spencer Horwitz, the Pirates’ first baseman, led off the game with a home run to right-center field, his eighth of the season, to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. The Pirates added another run in the third without the benefit of a hit. Jared Triolo walked, Henry Davis walked, and Horwitz followed with a soft grounder to Elder that loaded the bases. Nick Gonzales grounded into a double play, but Triolo scored on the relay, making it 2-0. Elder settled in after that. The right-hander, coming off a win against Toronto on June 2, allowed only two hits over six innings — both to Horwitz — and struck out four, walking three. He retired 10 of the final 12 batters he faced, with only a two-out error by third baseman Austin Riley in the fourth preventing a perfect stretch. Elder threw 97 pitches, 55 for strikes, and induced 11 balls in play. Pittsburgh starter Bubba Chandler was equally sharp through six innings. The left-hander, who entered with a 2-6 record, allowed just one hit — a second-inning single by Sandy León — over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked three, throwing 105 pitches, with 15 strikes, 55 balls and 15 balls in play before departing after issuing a one-out walk in the seventh. The Braves finally broke through in the seventh. With Chandler still on the mound, Dominic Smith reached on a throwing error by Pirates third baseman Tyler Callihan. Chandler struck out Austin Riley, but then walked Mike Yastrzemski. After a walk to Jorge Mateo loaded the bases, Chandler was replaced by left-hander Evan Sisk. Sisk faced Harris, who had entered the game as a pinch-hitter. Harris laced a double to right field, clearing the bases and putting Atlanta ahead 3-2. Harris, who finished 1 for 1 with three RBIs, was the hero of the inning. Sisk and Mason Montgomery combined to allow a hit and strike out three over the final 2 2/3 innings without further damage. The Pirates mounted a threat in the eighth against Atlanta’s bullpen. With López on the mound after Elder left, Endy Rodríguez singled and Horwitz walked, putting runners on first and second with one out. Nick Gonzales lined out to shortstop, and after Bryan Reynolds walked to load the bases, Ryan O’Hearn grounded out to first to end the inning. López, who pitched 1 1/3 innings, allowed one hit and struck out two to earn his third win against one loss. In the ninth, Atlanta turned to Fuentes. Brandon Lowe doubled to right with one out, but Fuentes struck out Callihan. Jake Mangum singled to put runners at the corners, but Triolo popped out and Rodríguez struck out swinging to end the game. Fuentes worked a perfect inning, striking out two and allowing two hits to secure his first save. The game lasted 2 hours, 33 minutes before an announced crowd of 37,697. Horwitz was the only Pittsburgh batter with multiple hits, going 2 for 3 with a home run, two walks and an RBI. Lowe had a pinch-hit double. For Atlanta, Harris provided the only extra-base hit, a double. Ozzie Albies also doubled in the first inning but was stranded. Chandler took the loss, falling to 2-7 despite allowing only two earned runs on one hit over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out seven but walked three, and his ERA dropped to 4.01. Elder, the top star for Atlanta, allowed two earned runs on two hits over six innings, striking out four and walking three. He threw 97 pitches and recorded 15 strikes, 55 balls and 11 balls in play. The outing was a bounce-back from his previous start, a loss to Boston on May 27 in which he allowed five earned runs in 3 1/3 innings. Atlanta’s sweep of the three-game series extended its winning streak to five games, following victories of 6-3 on Friday and Saturday. Pittsburgh, which had won three of its previous four, lost consecutive games for the first time since dropping two in a row to the Chicago Cubs on May 27-28. The Pirates will return home to face the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday, while Atlanta travels to Chicago to open a three-game set against the White Sox. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Atlanta 7, Pittsburgh 6. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Atlanta with a 63.20 percent probability to win. Atlanta had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total score of 5 went over the over/under line of 8.5.

ATLANTA (Interstat) — The Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves meet Sunday afternoon at Truist Park, with the first-place Braves aiming for a three-game sweep of the struggling Pirates. First pitch is set for 1:35 p.m. under cloudy skies and 85-degree heat. Atlanta (44-21) has won the first two games of the series by identical 6-3 scores, extending its lead in the National League East. The Pirates (34-31) will start either right-hander Bubba Chandler (2-6) or right-hander Bryce Elder (5-3). The team has not announced which pitcher will take the mound. Atlanta counters with right-hander Spencer Strider, who is 5-3 with a 3.86 ERA and earned the win Saturday against Pittsburgh, allowing three runs on five hits over five innings with three strikeouts. Strider has been sharp in recent outings, allowing three earned runs or fewer in each of his last five starts. Over that span, he has a 4-1 record with 29 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings. Pittsburgh reliever Yohan Ramirez has been a bright spot for the Pirates’ bullpen. In Saturday’s loss, Ramirez tossed two scoreless innings with two strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 4.50. Over his last four appearances, the right-hander has allowed one earned run in 4 1/3 innings. The Braves’ offense has been led by designated hitter Dominic Smith, who went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs in Saturday’s win. Closer Raisel Iglesias earned his 15th save, working a scoreless ninth inning with one strikeout. Atlanta has won eight of its last 10 games. Pittsburgh has lost three of its last four. The game simulator projects a 7-6 Braves victory. Atlanta is a -1.5 run favorite with an over/under of 8.5 runs. After Sunday’s game, the Braves travel to Chicago for a three-game series against the White Sox beginning Tuesday. The Pirates return home to face the Dodgers on Tuesday.