Brewers beat Braves, Blake Perkins has 3 of Milwaukee's 16 hits

ATLANTA – Blake Perkins was 3 for 5 with three RBIs and the Milwaukee Brewers had 16 hits in an 8-5 victory over the slumping Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night.

Joey Ortiz went 3 for 5 with a double, two RBIs and a run to help the NL Central-leading Brewers beat the Braves for the second straight game to open the series.

Gary Sánchez was 2 for 5 with two runs and an RBI. Jackson Chourio and Rhys Hoskins had three hits each as the Brewers had 24 baserunners.

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The Braves have lost four straight and have dropped into the NL’s third wild-card slot after leading the wild-card race for much of the season.

Milwaukee starter Freddy Peralta (7-6) allowed four runs on eight hits in five innings. Nick Mears, Joel Payamps, Jared Koenig and Devin Williams each pitched an inning of relief.

Atlanta’s Chris Sale lasted 4 2/3 innings, giving up three runs (two earned), nine hits and two walks. He also struck out 10, giving him 85 career double-digit strikeout games to pass Steve Carlton for eighth place on the career list.

Pierce Johnson (4-4) was the loser.

Austin Riley was 2 for 3 with a home run, two runs and three RBIs for the Braves. His 428-foot blast to left field scored Whit Merrifield in the fifth inning. Orlando Arcia was 2 for 4 and extended his on-base streak to a career-high 19 games. Jared Kelenic hit his 13th home run in the ninth inning.

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Perkins broke a 4-4 tie in the sixth with a two-run single to center field that knocked in William Contreras and Willy Adames. Earlier in the inning, Sánchez hit a single to right field that scored Chourio and tied it. The Brewers tacked on two insurance runs in the eighth.

Braves manager Brian Snitker was ejected in the fifth inning for arguing balls and strikes with plate umpire Brian Walsh. It was the first ejection of the season for any member of the Braves.