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Gio Urshela, Jameson Taillon lead Yankees over Braves

New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman (R) celebrates with teammates after a win over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
1 of 5 | New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman (R) celebrates with teammates after a win over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

April 21 (UPI) -- Gio Urshela hit his second home run of the season and Jameson Taillon allowed just four hits to lead the New York Yankees to their sixth win in 16 games, a 3-1 triumph over the Atlanta Braves at Yankee Stadium.

Urshela and Yankees second baseman D.J. LeMahieu recorded two hits apiece in the win Tuesday in the Bronx. Braves center-fielder Guillermo Heredia was the only other player with more than one hit in the low-scoring affair.

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"I thought my stuff was really good," Taillon told reporters. "I thought [my pitching] was crisp. The stuff I worked on between outings showed up. We had a good idea of where the top of the strike zone was.

"I threw way more curveballs and we got that pitch really involved in the game plan."

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The victory snapped a five-game losing streak for the Yankees, who entered the season as one of the betting favorites to win the World Series.

Taillon and Braves starter Charlie Morton kept Tuesday's game scoreless through the first two innings. Braves right-fielder Ehire Adrianza then plated the game's first run in the top of the third inning.

Austin Riley started the inning with a pop out. Heredia followed with a double to left field. Adrianza then smacked a 3-2 Taillon fastball to right field for an RBI double and a 1-0 Braves lead.

The Yankees responded in the fifth frame. Taillon got the Braves out in order in the top half of the inning. Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez led off the bottom of the inning with a pop out, which prompted Urshela's walk into the batter's box.

The Yankees third baseman hit the first pitch he saw from Morton -- a 94.7-mph fastball -- deep to center field for a 437-foot homer. Urshela's blast had an exit velocity of 109 mph, according to Statcast.

The Yankees took a 2-1 lead on a wild pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning. Braves relief pitcher Nate Jones then walked Mike Ford with the bases loaded in the same inning to plate the final run of the game.

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Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman retired the Braves in order in the ninth inning to earn his second save of the season.

Urshela went 2 for 3 with an RBI and run scored in the win. LeMahieu went 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Taillon allowed one run and one walk and had five strikeouts, but did not receive a decision for his five innings of work. Morton allowed three hits and one run in six innings, but did not receive a decision.

"Even though we didn't break it open, there were a lot of good things that happened," Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters. "There were competitive things that happened that allowed us to win a well-played ball game."

The Yankees (6-10) host the Braves (7-10) in the final game of the series at 6:35 p.m. EDT Wednesday at Yankee Stadium. The Braves are expected to start right-handed pitcher Ian Anderson. Corey Kluber, another right-handed pitcher, is expected to start for the Yankees.

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