Jhoulys Chacin settled down nicely after a rough start.

Trailing 2-0 after the first three batters of the game Tyus Bowser Jersey , Chacin threw seven solid innings and Hernan Perez homered among his three hits, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to a 7-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night in a matchup of first-place teams.

NL Central Division-leading Milwaukee won its fourth game in a row to go 17 games over .500 (52-35) for the first time since July 1, 2014, when the Brewers were 51-34.

Chacin (7-3) gave up three hits and two earned runs while matching a season high with seven strikeouts in what tied for his longest outing this year. The right-hander, who was 0-2 in his previous three starts while allowing 10 runs in 15 2/3 innings, retired 20 of the last 24 batters he faced.

”Jhoulys pitched excellent – after the first,” Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. ”He locked it in and made some really good pitches the rest of the night.”

Dan Jennings pitched two perfect innings for his first save this season, and second of his career.

NL East-leading Atlanta dropped its third consecutive game after winning four straight – and lost for the first time this season on a Thursday (7-1).

Braves left-hander Max Fried (1-3) lasted only three innings in his third start of the season, giving up four earned runs and four hits with three walks.

”He had a blister starting and he’s had a history of the blister thing,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. ”And when it kind of surfaced, I decided I didn’t want to take any chances Oren Burks Jersey , so I shut him down.”

Atlanta gave Fried a 2-0 lead in the first, but he allowed a run in the bottom of the frame and did not help his cause in the second. After a leadoff triple by Perez and a walk to Keon Broxton, Milwaukee tied it at 2 on a single by Tyler Saladino. Fried failed to hold the runners on first and second by not even looking at them, so Broxton and Saladino converted a double steal. Erik Kratz’s groundout scored Broxton to give Milwaukee a 3-2 lead.

”We’re getting the right guys out there, trying to do our homework and find spots when we can take advantage of something,” Counsell said.

Then, Fried not only walked Chacin, he fired a wild pitch that bounced off the backstop on ball four. Catcher Tyler Flowers retrieved the ball and threw to Fried covering the plate. But Saladino – who appeared to be an easy out – slid awkwardly in front of the plate and knocked it out of the pitcher’s glove. Saladino got up and stepped on the plate for a 4-2 lead.

Perez hit a two-run homer – his fifth – off reliever Dan Winkler in the eighth.

MORE MOUND MISCUES

In the first, Ozzie Albies scored from third on a grounder hit by Freddie Freeman. Chacin fielded the ball, looked at Albies and then slowly lobbed a high toss to first which allowed the speedster to score without a throw home. … In the eighth, Winkler’s pickoff attempt at first hit Jonathan Villar in the head and the ball ended up in Milwaukee’s dugout for an error. Villar took second and scored on a single by Christian Yelich.

FREEMAN STILL SLUMPING

In his previous nine games in Milwaukee Cameron Jordan Jersey , Freeman was hitting .419 (13-for-31) with six home runs and seven walks. But that did not end his slump, as he was 0 for 3 and is now batting .154 (10-for-65) in his last 16 games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Braves: RHP Julio Tehran is not in Milwaukee after coming down with an illness while the team was in New York. Since he was not scheduled to start against the Brewers, the Braves sent him back to Atlanta.

Brewers: INF Saladino (left ankle sprain) was activated from the disabled list and INF Eric Sogard was designated for assignment.

UP NEXT

Braves: RHP Mike Foltynewicz (6-4, 2.02) is 1-1 all-time against Milwaukee.

Brewers: Rookie RHP Freddy Peralta (3-1, 2.28) makes his sixth start.

—

Stephen Curry is impatient and eager to get back in a game for the Golden State Warriors, yet he knows it’s not worth risking re-injuring his left knee by pushing his return too soon.

The two-time MVP on Friday went through his first 5-on-5 scrimmage since the injury but coach Steve Kerr wasn’t ready to proclaim Curry a go for Saturday night – that might not be decided until after the morning shootaround. Kerr listed Curry’s status as questionable for a second straight day ahead of Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the New Orleans Pelicans at Oracle Arena.

”Still to be determined,” Curry said. ”They come up with those snazzy words for a reason – doubtful, questionable, probable. I’ve learned a lot about what those words mean this year. Just trying to work my way up, do what I need to do, do whatever Chelsea (Lane) and the rest of the athletic training staff and coach needs to see to get me back out there. That’s the only thing I can really focus on right now. It is good to be back actually playing basketball and doing basketball things.”

Curry Martavis Bryant Jersey , Kerr and Lane spoke in depth after Friday’s scrimmage, which wasn’t visible to media members with a curtain blocking one court at team headquarters.

On Thursday, Curry resumed full practice with contact but Kerr wanted to see how Curry responded after consecutive intense days of on-court work before he and the training staff decided when to let Curry return.

”A big part of this is how he turns up tomorrow after a night’s rest,” Kerr said. ”It’s the first time he’s scrimmaged in six weeks, five weeks, whatever it is. It’s not as simple as he feels good, throw him out there. It’s more about give him a few days, see how he responds from there.”

There was still no date for Game 2 of the best-of-seven series, though Curry was hoping if he couldn’t play Saturday that the game would be at least Tuesday – not Monday – to give him a better chance.

He nearly feels like himself again, moving the way he’s used to during a game. Curry isn’t sure what kind of minutes to expect initially when he does return but figures he will discuss that with Kerr ahead of time.

”I’m getting there,” he said. ”My knee feels pretty good. I don’t have any pain with doing things I’ve been doing.”

Curry wore compression leggings Friday to protect his sprained knee Doug Baldwin Jersey , which has sidelined him since the injury March 23. It was bad luck given that’s the same day he returned from a six-game absence because of a hurt right ankle.

He was happy to not need a brace he tried out Thursday. The Warriors eliminated the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the first-round series with a 99-91 win Tuesday night and Curry wants to make sure he doesn’t disrupt any flow or momentum with the team on a roll.

”The priority for us is to be the best team we can be,” he said. ”When I’m 100 percent healthy and doing what I need to do I obviously try to lead that charge but right now the conversations become how can you manage those minutes and still be productive and still have a cohesive lineup and flow to the game and all that type of stuff. That’s what Coach has to think through.”

Curry said he wasn’t trying to persuade Kerr or Lane to let him play Saturday.

”There’s no real politicking at all, it’s not that serious. It’s a matter of how you feel, can you do this, can you do that and check off all the boxes along the way,” he said. ”Once I get through all those checkpoints and have confidence in myself and my body I’ll be out there, whether that’s tomorrow night or Monday or Tuesday, whenever Game 2 is, that’s the process that I’m all too familiar with.”

—

Adidas Henrik Lundqvist Jersey