ATLANTA — Andrew Knizner hit a three-run homer, Adolis García added a two-run shot and the Texas Rangers avoided a three-game sweep with a 6-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday night.
Evan Carter also went deep as the reigning World Series champions erased an early 3-0 deficit and stopped Atlanta’s six-game winning streak. Michael Lorenzen (2-0) recovered from a rocky start, giving up three runs and three hits with seven strikeouts in six innings.
David Robertson worked 1 2/3 innings in relief and Kirby Yates got four outs for his third save.
Marcell Ozuna launched his major league-leading ninth homer for the Braves, a three-run shot off Lorenzen in the first inning.
Atlanta rookie Darius Vines (1-1) allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings while striking out six and walking two.
Carter’s solo shot in the fourth and Knizner’s drive later in the inning gave Texas a 4-3 lead. García connected off Tyler Matzek in the eighth to make it 6-3.
Helped by García’s error in right field when he dropped a flyball, the Braves got a run back in the bottom half on Austin Riley’s RBI single. Atlanta had two runners on with nobody out, but Robertson struck out Matt Olson and retired Ozuna on a popup. Yates entered and struck out Orlando Arcia to end the inning.
Carter also had an infield single and made two diving catches in left field.
Knizner, the Rangers’ backup catcher, entered the game 1 for 16 this season but finished with two hits. His three-run homer to right followed singles by Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Smith.
Ozuna homered with two outs in the first. From there, Lorenzen dominated the potent Braves lineup, giving up just one hit over the next five innings as the Rangers rallied.
Atlanta reserve catcher Chadwick Tromp threw out two runners trying to steal.
UP NEXT
Rangers: RHP Dane Dunning (2-1, 3.91 ERA) will face Mariners RHP Logan Gilbert (1-0, 2.33) in the opener of a three-game series at home Tuesday.
Braves: RHP Reynaldo López (2-0, 0.50 ERA) pitches the opener of a three-game series in Atlanta against Marlins LHP Ryan Weathers (2-1, 2.70).
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
