Matt Kemp launched a three-run home run deep over the center-field fence and Mike Foltynewicz continued his mastery of the Giants this year as the Braves halted San Francisco’s brief winning streak with a 3-1 victory Saturday.

“It always feels good to put your team up, especially coming in here,” Kemp said. “It’s good to quiet the crowd a little bit. They get riled up when they’re up. But if you can get on the board and get them down, they’ll back off you a little bit. Folty pitched an excellent game. We gave as many runs as he needed and he did his thing.”
Foltynewicz allowed just one run in six innings against the Giants in May, and the right-hander reenacted that performance at AT&T Park. Foltynewicz surrendered five hits and made only one costly mistake. Brandon Crawford made him pay for that miscue, lining a solo home run over the left-field fence in the second. But Foltynewicz faced little pressure from the majority of the Giants’ lineup while pitching 7 2/3 formidable innings.
“That’s a tough matchup for anybody, as well as he threw tonight,” said Giants manager Bruce Bochy. “He was tough on us in Atlanta, too. He’s got great stuff when he’s on. He’s tough.”
The Giants chased Foltynewicz in the eighth, after Denard Span doubled and Angel Pagan drew a walk with two outs. But Mauricio Cabrera promptly induced a groundout from Joe Panik to get out of the jam. Kemp’s three-run home run, which carried 425 feet, according to Statcast™, in the the fourth proved to be the perfect amount of support.
“I was feeling very good, just one pitch lifted it up,” said Giants starter Albert Suarez, who meant to throw Kemp a fastball low and away. “He put one good swing on it and he hit it far.”
Kemp, a former member of the Dodgers and Padres, now has 23 home runs against San Francisco.
He helped spoil what had been a solid start for Suarez. Only hours after being recalled from the Minors to replace an injured Jake Peavy, Suarez didn’t allow a hit in his first three innings. But the rookie quickly unraveled in the fourth, surrendering a single, double and home run to the first three batters he faced in the inning. Suarez lasted 4 1/3 innings, and due to a 3-2 Dodgers win, the Giants fell two games behind Los Angeles for first place in the National League West.
Foltynewicz paid for the center-cut fastball Crawford drilled for an opposite-field homer in the second inning, but he was otherwise relatively flawless as he retired 15 of the first 18 batters faced. Crawford struck again in the seventh inning with a leadoff double, but the Braves right-hander did not blink as he escaped the inning unscathed. After Span sliced an opposite-field double with two outs in the eighth, Foltynewicz ended his impressive effort with a nine-pitch battle that resulted in the Pagan walk preceding Panik’s groundout against Cabrera.
“A couple starts before this, I might have gotten a little upset [after Crawford’s homer] and then maybe the next guy would have been walked,” Foltynewicz said. “But after that, I just settled down, kept attacking and kept the same game plan. I didn’t shy away from anything there.”
Firing a strike: Filling in for an injured Hunter Pence, Gorkys Hernandez showcased his arm strength in the sixth inning. After Dansby Swanson hit a two-out single to right field with a runner on second, Hernandez threw a strike to catcher Trevor Brown to get Tyler Flowers out at home. Already trailing by two at that point, the throw got the Giants out of the inning unscathed.
Though Kemp’s statistics since coming to Atlanta at the start of August have not been eye-popping, he has lengthened the lineup, provided Freddie Freeman protection and produced some of the power the Braves envisioned. Atlanta was hitless before the fourth inning began with an Adonis Garcia single, Freeman’s double and Kemp’s 26th homer of the season — third in 95 at-bats tallied for the Braves.
“That was a nice short swing,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “I was very impressed. When he hit it, I thought it was going to score a run, but then I looked up and that thing just kept going. That’s a big strong man. It was almost a perfect swing.”
The Giants struck first Saturday on Crawford’s 12th homer of the season to provide Suarez with an early cushion. But the Giants’ offense struggled throughout Saturday’s game, going 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
“That was the difference in the game,” said Bochy. “We just couldn’t get a key hit. That’s how you win ballgames, and that was missing tonight.”
Aaron Blair will make his first start since June 24 when Atlanta and San Francisco conclude this three-game series Sunday at 2:05 p.m. CT. Blair has spent the past two months with Triple-A Gwinnett. He held the Giants scoreless until surrendering three two-run home runs in the fifth inning of a June 2 start at Turner Field.  Thunder Radio will bring you the broadcast as part of the Braves Radio Network beginning at 2 PM.

The first-place Nashville Sounds begin the final homestand of the regular season Monday when they welcome the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs – the Iowa Cubs – to First Tennessee Park for a four-game series.

Below is a preview for each game of the homestand:

Monday, August 29 vs. Iowa – 7:05 p.m.
• Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
• Major League Monday with special guest appearance by Barry Zito presented by 650 AM WSM. The former Cy Young Award winner, World Series champion and 2015 Sounds pitcher returns to First Tennessee Park. Zito will sign autographs from 6:15-6:35 and throw a ceremonial first pitch.
• Barry Zito Bobblehead Giveaway – The first 2,000 fans in attendance receive the bobblehead of Zito in Sounds gear.
• FOX17 post-game fireworks presented by Koorsen Fire & Security.
• Kroger Plus Monday – Buy a “Family 4-Pack” that includes 4 Select section tickets, 4 hot dogs & 4 fountain sodas for $44. This offer is only available at participating Ticketmaster locations inside Kroger stores and is not available at First Tennessee Park.

Tuesday, August 30 vs. Iowa – 7:05 p.m.
• Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
• “Live from Nashville, it’s Tuesday Night” – The final Tuesday of the season brings the Sounds Choice Awards (award show theme night) presented by The Tennessean. As voted on by the fans during the month of August, select Sounds players and special fans will receive season awards throughout the game in the form of a golden bobblehead.
• Special guest appearance by Rickey Henderson. The Hall of Famer will meet with fans and sign autographs (flat objects only) before the game from 6:15-6:35.
• FOX17 post-game fireworks presented by Koorsen Fire & Security.

Wednesday, August 31 vs. Iowa – 12:05 p.m.
• Gates open at 11:00 a.m.
• Noon Bash in Nash presented by ESPN 102.5 The Game – catch Sounds baseball at high noon!
• Senior Discount – Fans 60 and older may purchase a Corner Section ticket for just $8. Discount is based on availability – one ticket per I.D.

Thursday, September 1 vs. Iowa – 6:35 p.m.
• Gates open at 5:30 p.m.
• First Tennessee Park’s Regular Season Finale Celebration – Fan Appreciation Night – The first 3,000 fans in attendance receive the stadium replica giveaway presented by First Tennessee.
• Post-game fireworks show presented by First Tennessee.
• The Sounds will honor the Team MVP, Most Popular Player and Community Service Award in a pre-game, on-field ceremony.
• Nashville Sounds Silent Auction – Throughout the game, fans can bid on special items such as autographed bats, baseballs and other player-signed items. All proceeds will support the Nashville Sounds Foundation and Pros for Playworks – a charity Sounds Manager Steve Scarsone proudly supports.
• Throwback Thursday presented by iHeartMedia – the Sounds will wear throwback jerseys to commemorate the team’s original uniform style from 1978. Fans can purchase Coca-Cola fountain soda, domestic draft beers and 12oz. cans for $2 each. Bud and Bud Light 16oz. cans and import and craft draft beer can be purchased for $3 each.

Fans who attend the team’s final homestand will be treated to an exclusive mobile digital experience presented by BKON. Fans who download the Sounds Gameday app will see special in-game content, stadium trivia, images from inside the dugout, as well as exclusive ticket and ballpark experience offers.
Tickets for the 2016 Pacific Coast League playoff dates at First Tennessee Park are now available for purchase at the Nashville Sounds box office and online at www.nashvillesounds.com. The 2016 season is the Sounds’ 19th year in the Pacific Coast League and their second as the Oakland Athletics’ top affiliate.

Another strong performance by starter Dillon Overton led the Nashville Sounds to a 2-1 win over the Memphis Redbirds Saturday night at AutoZone Park.

The win was the 46th on the road for the American Southern Division champions. It matches the franchise record for most road wins in a season set by the 1980 Sounds club that also won 46 away from Nashville. The Sounds have five more road games left in the regular season.

Overton limited the Redbirds to one run on five hits in six innings. He issued one walk and struck out four in his 13th win of the season. The left-hander has 13 quality starts and the Sounds are 14-6 in games he starts.

Matt Olson and Joey Wendle gave Nashville (79-56) an early lead in the second inning. Olson started the inning with a double to left-center and Wendle drove him in with his 30th double of the season two batters later.

The lone run Overton allowed came in the third when Memphis third baseman Patrick Wisdom hit a solo homer to even the game at 1-1.

It stayed that way until Olson and Wendle were at the center of another rally in the sixth. Olson sent his third hit of the night into left field to put the lead-off man on. Renato Nunez singled to put runners on the corners for Wendle who sent a soft single into right field to score Olson giving the Sounds a 2-1 lead.

Overton worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth before handing the game over to the bullpen. Sean Doolittle worked around a one-out double with a pair of strikeouts to turn in a scoreless seventh.

Carlos Navas entered in the eighth and got a line drive double play in the scoreless frame.

With a 2-1 lead, Navas retired the first two batters in the bottom of the ninth before issuing a walk to Nick Martini. Wisdom was the next batter and sent a hard ground ball down the third base line. It was gloved on a diving stop by third baseman Matt Chapman who jumped up and fired to first in time to get Wisdom.

The save for Navas is his first at the Triple-A level. Olson finished the night 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles to up his total to 34 on the season.

Wendle, B.J. Boyd and Josh Rodriguez added multi-hit games for the Sounds.

The fifth and final game of the series is scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Memphis. Right-hander Daniel Mengden (7-2, 1.66) starts for the Sounds against right-hander Matt Pearce (0-0, 0.00) for the Redbirds. First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m.

Tickets for the 2016 Pacific Coast League playoff dates at First Tennessee Park are now available for purchase at the Nashville Sounds box office and online at www.nashvillesounds.com. The 2016 season is the Sounds’ 19th year in the Pacific Coast League and their second as the Oakland Athletics’ top affiliate.

Creating offense in the first inning has been a particularly difficult task for the Giants this year. That changed Friday, as Brandon Belt and Joe Panik tallied a pair of run-scoring base hits in the bottom of the first that set the stage for a 7-0 win over the Atlanta Braves at AT&T Park.

San Francisco entered the series opener with the fewest runs (44) in the first inning in the Majors this season. But after Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford hit consecutive infield singles with two outs, the Giants finally came through. Belt launched a base hit to center field to score Posey, and Panik lined a ball down the left-field line to score two more. Angel Pagan then added a two-run home run in the second, and thanks to seven scoreless frames from Jeff Samardzija, the Giants cruised to just their third series-opening victory since the All-Star break.
The Braves offense had plenty of opportunities to match the Giants’ offensive production in the first two innings. But the batters went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and scored zero runs despite loading the bases with nobody out in the second. San Francisco fared much better against Joel De La Cruz, and the Braves rookie exited after allowing six runs (three earned) in four innings.
Samardzija initially appeared to be missing the command that allowed him to take a no-hitter into the seventh inning of his last start. But after working his way out of multiple jams in the first two innings, the right-hander proved to be dominant. Samardzija pitched seven shutout innings Friday and held an opponent scoreless for just the second time this season. He also turned in his third consecutive quality start while recording just his second win since the All-Star break.
The Braves squandered two doubles in the first inning and did not capitalize after each of their first three batters reached safely in the second. Ender Inciarte began the game with a double, but then made a mental mistake that resulted in him being thrown out at third base on Adonis Garcia’s grounder to shortstop Crawford. Inciarte also accounted for the second out in Atlanta’s once-promising second inning.
Mike Foltynewicz will be on the mound when Atlanta and San Francisco resume this three-game series Saturday at 8:05 p.m. CT. Foltynewicz limited the Giants to one run over six innings on May 30. He has posted a 5.48 ERA over eight starts since the All-Star break.

The Nashville Sounds were crowned American Southern Division champions when they defeated the Memphis Redbirds, 5-3, Friday night at AutoZone Park.

For the first time since 2007, the Sounds are heading to the Pacific Coast League Playoffs. With the best record in the PCL (78-56), Nashville will look for its first league championship since the 2005 season.

It’s the fifth division title for the Sounds since joining the PCL in 1998. The franchise won the American East Division in 2003 and the American North Division in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

The club has been in first place for 94 consecutive days dating back to May 24. The Sounds will play the winner of the American Northern Division in the first round of the playoffs set to begin on Wednesday, September 7.

The Redbirds scored the first two runs of the game when they hopped on the board in the first inning. An RBI groundout by Efren Navarro and run-scoring single by Jose Martinez made it 2-0 after one.

As they’ve done all season, the Sounds came storming back with authority. Two walks in the top of the fourth put a pair of runners on for Renato Nunez who hit a soft single into right field to score Jaycob Brugman with Nashville’s first run.

Moments later, catcher Matt McBride cracked a three-run homer to left field to give the Sounds a 4-2 lead.

The offense was at it again when hot-hitting Josh Rodriguez launched a solo homer into the Memphis bullpen to start the top of the fifth. It was the fourth home run of the road trip for Rodriguez who has driven in 13 runs over his last seven games.

While the Sounds’ offense was putting up runs, starting pitcher Jharel Cotton was settling into a groove. The right-hander retired 17 of the final 18 batters he faced. He allowed two runs over seven innings and picked up his 11th win of the season.

Eduard Santos relieved Cotton and worked a perfect eighth inning before handing off to Bobby Wahl with a 5-2 lead.

The Redbirds tacked on a run in the bottom of the ninth to cut the deficit to 5-3, but Wahl struck out the side to notch his fourth save of the season and start the celebration.

Game four of the five-game series is scheduled for Saturday night in Memphis. Left-hander Dillon Overton (12-5, 3.38) starts for the Sounds against right-hander Kurt Heyer (2-3, 5.92) for the Redbirds. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

Tickets for the 2016 Pacific Coast League playoff dates at First Tennessee Park are now available for purchase at the Nashville Sounds box office and online at www.nashvillesounds.com. The 2016 season is the Sounds’ 19th year in the Pacific Coast League and their second as the Oakland Athletics’ top affiliate.

Maddy Jones(in black) of CCMS dribbles the ball past a Tullahoma defender on Monday night.

After spotting the Harris Middle School soccer team a goal in the 4th minute of Thursday night’s contest, the CCMS soccer team dominated the time of possession the rest of the match to capture the 3 to 1 conference win. Harris netted a goal on a breakaway early but the Lady Raiders tied it before the half. A pair of 2nd half goals made the difference for Coffee County.
Coffee County outshot Harris 13 to 6 on the match with a 7 to 2 advantage in the second half. Pamela Solis of Harris started the scoring as she drilled a long through pass from Ashleigh Pridemore into the net to give Harris a 1 to 0 lead in the 4th minute. Coffee County squandered a few scoring chances in the next 6 minutes before Maddy Jones tied it, unassisted, on a beautiful play in the box in the 12th minute.
In the 2nd half, Coffee County attacked the box and grabbed the lead in the 40th minute as Jones got her 2nd goal coming off an assist from Kyleigh Harner. Ellie Fann notched the Raiders 3rd goal in the 52nd minute unassisted as she kept a ball alive before popping it past the Eaglettes keeper. With a 3 to 1 lead, Coach Travis O’Kelley was content to move his alignment around and let his defense work. The tactic kept Harris bottled up and allowed the Lady Raiders to capture the win.
The win improves Coffee County to 2-0-1 on the season. The Lady Raiders are back in action on Tuesday when they welcome Algood to the home pitch at Coffee County Middle. That non-conference match is set to kick off at 5:30 PM.