ATLANTA (AP) -- Freddie Freeman is delighted to have the Atlanta Braves in first place to begin the final month of the regular season.
It sure beats the drudgery of losing at least 90 games in each of the last three years.
''When you go to spring training every year, that's all you can ask for, and here we are playing meaningful games with a three-game lead,'' he said. ''That's what we want to be playing for. It's a lot of fun.''
Freeman hit a tiebreaking, RBI double in the four-run eighth inning, and the NL East-leading Braves rallied to snap a three-game skid and beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-3 on Saturday night.