Braves edge Rays
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Atlanta, GA (SportsNetwork.com) - Alberto Callaspo and Todd Cunningham each had an RBI to help the Atlanta Braves in a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night.
Atlanta only managed five hits -- three doubles -- but it was just enough to claim a split of the brief two-game set.
Williams Perez, making his first career start, went five innings and allowed one run on six hits with seven strikeouts in the no-decision.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"He was pretty good," Rays shortstop Asdrubel Cabrera said of Perez. "He did a great job. He worked both sides of the plate."
Brandon Cunniff (2-0) earned the win for 1 1/3 innings in relief and Jason Grilli closed it out in the ninth for his 12th save of the season.
Tampa Bay starter Jake Odorizzi (3-4) was charged with two runs on four hits and two walks in six innings of work.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Steven Souza Jr. and Evan Longoria both singled with one out in the first to put runners on the corners, and James Loney poked a sacrifice fly out to center that made it 1-0.
Atlanta went down in order over the first two frames before Andrelton Simmons doubled to begin the third and later scored on Callaspo's single to center.
Freddie Freeman knocked a ground-rule double to right with one out in the sixth and Nick Markakis followed with a sharp single to left that put runners at the corners. Cunningham sent Freeman home on a groundout to shortstop to give the Braves a 2-1 lead.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We're playing good baseball and we need to keep it going," Braves second baseman Jace Peterson said.
Jim Johnson followed Cunniff with a scoreless eighth inning to set up Grilli's scoreless ninth.
Game Notes
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Perez had made two relief appearances and posted a 15.43 ERA entering the game ... No player on either team had more than one hit ... The Rays outhit Atlanta 8-5 ... Tampa Bay went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position, while the Braves converted 2-of-9 chances with RISP.