DANSBY Swanson, Austin Riley, and Matt Olson produced a second straight big night Saturday (Sunday in Manila), combining for seven hits and all four RBIs as the host Atlanta Braves took over first place in the National League East by beating the New York Mets 4-2.
The Braves have won the first two games of the three-game series to move past the Mets atop the NL East. Atlanta, which has gone 76-32 since June 1 to make up a 10 1/2-game deficit, has spent just two days with sole possession of the division lead — 166 fewer days than New York has spent alone in first place.
The two wins by the Braves have tied the season series at 9-9. Whomever wins Sunday’s (Monday in Manila) finale will have the tiebreaker should the teams finish with the same record.
Swanson, Riley, and Olson, all of whom hit solo homers in the Braves’ 5-2 win last Friday night (Saturday in Manila), are batting a combined .478 (11-for-23) with five homers and seven RBIs in the series.
In other games, it was the Yankees 8, Orioles 0; Nationals 13, Phillies 4 (Game 1); Phillies 8, Nationals 2 (Game 2); Diamondbacks 8, Giants 4; Cubs 2, Reds 1; Mariners 5, Athletics 1; Blue Jays 10, Red Sox 0; Royals 7, Guardians 1;; Tigers 3, Twins 2; Marlins 4, Brewers 3; Cardinals 13, Brewers 3; Astros 2, Rays 1; Angels 3, Rangers 2; Dodgers 6, Rockies 4; and Padres 5, White Sox 2.
Yankees 8, Orioles 0
Nestor Cortes matched a career high with 12 strikeouts in 7 1/3 dominating innings and New York cruised to a victory over visiting Baltimore.
Aaron Judge, in search of his 62nd home run to break Roger Maris’ American League record, went 0-for-2 and reached base twice. Giancarlo Stanton and Kyle Higashioka hit home runs for New York while Josh Donaldson and Gleyber Torres drove in two runs apiece.
Baltimore’s Austin Voth allowed seven hits and four runs in five innings. Baltimore lost for the sixth time in eight games.
