Freddie Freeman's bases-loaded single caps 9th-inning rally as Braves beat Romo, Giants 6-5

ATLANTA — Freddie Freeman's bases-loaded, line-drive single off closer Sergio Romo capped a two-run rally in the ninth that lifted the Atlanta Braves to a 6-5 win over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday.

B.J. Upton hit two homers off Chad Gaudin, but the Braves trailed 5-4 entering the ninth.

Romo (3-3) walked pinch-hitter Evan Gattis, who was replaced by pinch-runner Reed Johnson, with one out. Andrelton Simmons followed with a grounder that skipped past third baseman Joaquin Arias for an error, putting runners on first and second.

Jason Heyward followed with a liner that fell in front of left fielder Andres Torres, loading the bases.

Justin Upton took a close 3-2 pitch for a ball to force in the tying run. The pitch, which had Upton backing away, was close to the inside part of the plate and Romo walked toward the plate to express his disagreement.

Freeman then came through with the game-winning single to right field.

Braves closer Craig Kimbrel (2-1) struck out Hunter Pence to end the ninth with runners on first and second. Pence drove in two runs.

Pence had a run-scoring single in the Giants' three-run third inning and a sacrifice fly in a two-run fifth. The Giants, who began the day 1½ games behind first-place Arizona in the NL West, had won three straight.

Braves starter Mike Minor gave up five runs, four earned, on seven hits and a walk in six innings.

San Francisco relievers Jean Machi, Javier Lopez and Jeremy Affeldt combined for three scoreless innings before Romo blew the save in the ninth.

B.J. Upton's long second-inning homer landed about halfway up the lower section of the left-field seats.

Upton's two-run homer to center field in the sixth drove in Brian McCann, who doubled. The homer cut San Francisco's lead to 5-4 and knocked Gaudin out of the game.

Simmons made a wild throw after fielding an infield single by Juan Perez to open the sixth, but Minor pitched out of the jam.

The Giants took the lead in the third inning with three runs on four hits, including back-to-back RBI doubles by Torres and Abreu, who had three hits. Pence added a run-scoring single.