Sean Murphy hits two 2-run home runs and Braves earn 3-game sweep of Tigers with 7-0 win

The Braves are 5-1 over a six-game homestand and have won six of their last seven games. They allowed just two points combined in the series and their struggling offense averaged 5.6 points per game at home.

“We’re cautiously optimistic,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of his team’s offensive turnaround. “We felt like it was going to happen at some point, so it’s good to see we’re going there.” Murph looked a bit like his old self. That’s exciting in itself. But throughout the programming, we are again who we are.

Murphy, who made the National League All-Star team last season, was hitting just .135 in 15 games this season before the game. The catcher went 4-for-4 with 4 RBIs.

Murphy missed 49 games after suffering an oblique injury on Opening Day.

“The offense clicked a little more,” Murphy said. “It’s one of those things where hitting can be contagious. Today, everything clicked.

Ramón Laureano was 2-for-4 with a homer, his second of the season and first with the Braves. Ozzie Albies went 2-for-4 with an RBI and scored a run. In the fourth inning and second with no outs, Albies headed to third as Tigers starter Tarik Skubal looked for the sign, and Skubal threw wildly to third, allowing Albies to score to make it 5 -0.

“Against a guy like that, you try to run any way you can,” Snitker said. “It’s just very attentive, alert play from Ozzie.”

Skubal (8-3) allowed five runs, four earned, in four innings and allowed two of Atlanta’s three home runs.

“It just wasn’t a good day. He was off today,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said. “At first, they had two-man shots against him. »

Gio Urshela, Wenceel Perez and Andy Ibáñez each had two hits for the Tigers, who lost 10 of 13.

“We have to focus on tomorrow’s game,” Skubal said. “That’s what we should be focusing on every day.” If we can do this for the rest of the year, I like the group we’re in here.

Aaron Bummer (two innings), Daysbel Hernández (one) and Grant Holmes (one) completed the shutout. The Braves bullpen pitched 10 2/3 scoreless innings in the series.

Murphy drove Skubal’s changeup 407 feet into the Braves bullpen for a two-run blast to give the Braves a 3-0 lead in the third inning, then made it 7-0 in the fifth with another two-run homer.

Tigers: Right-hander Jack Flaherty (4-4, 3.01 ERA) will open a three-game series against the White Sox against right-hander Erick Fedde (5-1, 3.09) in Detroit on Friday.

Braves: Left-hander Chris Sale (9-2, 2.98 ERA) starts Friday at Yankee Stadium against left-hander Carlos Rodon (9-3, 3.28) to begin a three-game series, the first of a series of seven. -a road trip to Atlanta.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb