Braves hit four homers in win over Rays

ATLANTA — If the Braves are going to start hitting homers like this again, then maybe they can persevere as they spend at least the next couple weeks without another of their star outfielders.

Jarred Kelenic’s fifth-inning go-ahead shot was the first of four home runs the club hit to back an effective Charlie Morton in a 9-2 win over the Rays on Saturday afternoon at Truist Park. Atlanta has won three straight games for the first time since May 8-11 and has spent the past two days escaping its long offensive funk.

Kelenic, Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson all homered in the decisive five-run fifth against Rays starter Ryan Pepiot. Austin Riley added a three-run blast in the seventh. This marked just the third time the Braves have hit four homers in a game this season, and the first since April 19. They did so a franchise-record 20 times last year.

Morton limited Tampa Bay to one run over six innings and benefited from the power surge that extended Atlanta’s recent success. The Braves scored six runs in Thursday’s win in Baltimore, and they have totaled 16 runs through the first two games of this series. This stretch has created hope the lineup can persevere without Ronald Acuña Jr., who suffered a season-ending left knee injury on May 26, and Michael Harris II, who strained his left hamstring on Friday night.

Ozuna has produced a strong MVP-caliber resume while leading the National League in home runs (20), RBIs (62) and OPS (1.021). His two-run homer in Saturday’s fifth inning allowed him to join Acuña (2021), Freddie Freeman (‘17), Andruw Jones (‘05), Gary Sheffield (‘03) and Javy Lopez (‘03) as the only Braves to hit 20-plus homers through the team’s first 68 games since 2000.