Jonny Venters thought he had given up a tying home run with two outs

“It sounded loud Matt Adams Jersey ,” the Atlanta Braves‘ reliever said. “I thought it was gone.”Gregory Polanco’s drive to right field hit off the top of the 21-foot wall, however, and he was held to a double.Venters then got Francisco Cervelli to hit a game-ending comebacker, preserving Atlanta’s 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night.Ronald Acuna Jr. hit another leadoff home run and Freddie Freeman had a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the eighth inning to lift Julio Teheran and the Braves to a three-game sweep.Polanco was disappointed his drive did not clear the high wall.“It’s unbelievable, man,” he said. “I hit the ball really hard. It’s PNC (Park), man. Every other park, that’s a homer.”Acuna hit the fifth pitch out to left-center off Trevor Williams. It was the rookie’s 20th homer and sixth leading off the first inning, including four in the last two weeks.“He’s so exciting,” Teheran said. “You expect him to hit a long ball every time he comes up.”The NL East leaders went ahead 2-1 in the eighth when Freeman, who leads the league in hitting, sent a fly ball to deep left field off Edgar Santana. That came after Atlanta loaded the bases against Kyle Crick (2-2), who did not retire any of the three batters he faced.“You’d love to score five or six runs every night Kevin Long Jersey , but that’s not always going to happen,” Freeman said. “These are the types of games you have to win in a pennant race. It’s a really good win for us.”Atlanta moved three games ahead of the second-place Phillies, who lost 8-7 at Washington.Freeman’s sac fly made a winner of Teheran (9-7), who allowed one run and two hits in seven innings while striking out five and walking one. Teheran is 2-0 with a 2.93 ERA in his last five starts.Brad Brach struck out pinch-hitter David Freese with a runner on third to end the eighth. Venters completed the three-hitter and earned his second save.Atlanta also mustered only three hits but won for the 17th time in 25 games.It was seven years to the day since Venters converted his last save for the Braves on Aug. 22, 2011, at the Chicago Cubs. The left-hander missed five major league seasons from 2013-17 while recovering from three Tommy John operations. He returned this year with the Tampa Bay Rays.The Braves acquired Venters in a July trade and he got his first opportunity to fill in for injured closer A.J. Minter (lower back tightness) on Wednesday.“I told Jonny I might be using him in some save situations and he was ready,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.The Pirates got their run in the fifth when Colin Moran broke up Teheran’s no-hit bid with a two-out RBI single. Pittsburgh’s only other hit was a two-out single by Cervelli.The Pirates have scored just 16 runs in their last 10 games, going 2-8.Williams had another strong outing, permitting one run and two hits in six innings, but again was hurt by a lack of run support. Williams’ ERA is 0.97 ERA in six starts since the All-Star break, yet his record is just 3-2. He is also 1-2 in four August starts despite a 1.44 ERA.“He’s pitched so well, and he pitched so well again tonight,” Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. “It was just fun to watch him out there like a kid in the backyard going to work.”TRAINER’S ROOMBraves: C Kurt Suzuki (bruised left triceps) was out of the lineup after being hit by a pitch but is not expected to go on the disabled list. C Chris Stewart was called up from Triple-A Gwinnett to serve as a backup http://www.nationalsfanproshop.com/authentic-matt-adams-jersey , and OF Michael Reed was optioned to the Stripers.Pirates: RHP Chris Archer (left leg discomfort) is listed as the scheduled starter Sunday at Milwaukee. He left his start Monday night against Atlanta after four innings. … 2B Josh Harrison (strained left hamstring) did not start for a third straight game but struck out as a pinch-hitter. … INF-OF Sean Rodriguez (strained left abdominal muscle) is likely to begin a rehab assignment in the next few days. … SS Jordy Mercer (strained left calf) took batting and fielding practice. … INF Jung Ho Kang (left wrist surgery), on the disabled list at Triple-A Indianapolis, has been cleared to begin gripping exercises.TRICK SHOT ARTISTBraves second baseman Ozzie Albies hit a foul ball in the seventh inning that rebounded off the netting behind home plate and struck him on top of his batting helmet.TURN BACK THE CLOCKThe Braves announced their weeknight and Sunday afternoon home games will begin 15 minutes earlier next season at 7:20 p.m. and 1:20 p.m., respectively.UP NEXTBraves: Open a four-game series Thursday night at Miami, with LHP Sean Newcomb (10-6, 3.73 ERA) facing RHP Dan Straily (4-6, 4.60).Pirates: Begin a three-game series Friday night at Milwaukee, with RHP Joe Musgrove (5-7, 3.31 ERA) starting against LHP Wade Miley (2-2, 2.18). Adam Glanzman/Getty ImagesWith just under a one month to play, the playoff chase isn't the only thing heating up around Major League Baseball.Players around the game are also trying to put the finishing touches on their resume as they look to claim the top individual awards.Here's how the MVP races are shaping up at the beginning of September, according to OddsShark:OddsShark OddsSharkUpdated odds to win AL MVP (BovadaOfficial):Mookie Betts -235Mike Trout +450J.D. Martinez +500Jose Ramirez +500Jose Altuve +1000OddsShark OddsSharkUpdated odds to win NL MVP (BovadaOfficial):Freddie Freeman +250Nolan Arenado +260Matt Carpenter +300Javier Baez +350Paul Goldschmidt +600Jacob deGrom +750Christian Yelich +800There are plenty of familiar faces in the American League. Four of the five front-runners finished in the top-six of the 2017 AL MVP voting a season ago. J.D. Martinez was the only not to do so, as he split time between the Detroit Tigers and the Arizona Diamondbacks.Mookie Betts appears to be the favorite at this point Ryan Zimmerman Jersey , leading the AL with a .336 average to go with 29 home runs, 39 doubles, five triples, 71 RBI and 27 stolen bases. Not only that, but he has won a Gold Glove in each of the past two seasons.Meanwhile, Martinez, a teammate of Betts on the Boston Red Sox, also has a strong case. He has hit .335/.407/.641 with 39 home runs, 36 doubles and a major league-leading 115 RBI.Both players' cases are, of course, bolstered by the fact Boston is running away with the best record in baseball at 97-44. Then again, the fact that both have played at an MVP-caliber level this season could split the votes, ultimately hurting their individual causes.And once again http://www.nationalsfanproshop.com/authentic-matt-adams-jersey , Mike Trout remains a candidate. Through his first six full seasons, the Los Angeles Angels star has two MVP awards to his name and has never finished outside of the top four in voting. This year figures to be no exception, as he is hitting .305/.456/.604 with 31 home runs, 21 doubles, four triples, 63 RBI and 22 stolen bases.His argument will likely be hurt by the Angels (67-72) missing the postseason.Don't forget about Cleveland Indians star Jose Ramirez (.287 average, 37 home runs, 34 doubles, three triples, 96 RBI and 29 stolen bases and reigning AL MVP Jose Altuve (.318 average, 10 home runs, 27 doubles, two triples and 51 RBI) Bryce Harper Jersey , either. Both of their respective teams appear to be destined for the postseason.In the National League, there is very little clarity, meaning the final month could be the difference.Freddie Freeman (.305 average, 20 home runs, 36 doubles and 82 RBI) has led the surprising Atlanta Braves (76-63) to first place in the NL East. Nolan Arenado (.299 average, 31 home runs, 29 doubles and 92 RBI) has helped the surging Colorado Rockies (76-62) grab a hold of the top spot in the NL West.Javier Baez has been showing out for the first-place Chicago Cubs lately. Not only is he tied for the NL lead with 100 RBI, but he also has 30 home runs, 35 doubles, nine triples and 21 stolen bases l while playing all around the infield.As the playoff picture becomes clearer, the awards races may do the same.