Freeman hits 3-run HR, Braves beat Blue Jays 10-6

TORONTO -- Bartolo Colon gave Atlanta five innings. That was enough on a tough night for the big right-hander.

Colon brushed off an illness and got his first victory in a month, and the Braves snapped Toronto's five-game win streak with a 10-6 victory over the Blue Jays on Monday.

Freddie Freeman hit his 13th homer and Nick Markakis had three RBI for Atlanta, which has won three of four. Matt Kemp had four hits and scored three times.

Colon (2-4) allowed three runs, two earned, and seven hits. He struck out one and walked two while throwing 81 pitches.

"That was real big, because this is a hot ballclub," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "We come in here and these guys are swinging the bats really well. I guarantee you an outing like that will do a lot for him and his confidence going forward."

Colon allowed fewer than four runs for the third time in eight starts this season. He said he kept the Blue Jays off balance by relying on off-speed pitches earlier and more often.

"Everything was working today," Colon said through a translator. "Everything felt good."

Everything, that is, except for Colon's stomach. Already bothered by a head cold and headache, he developed an upset stomach as the day went on.

"After five, I thought that was enough for him," Snitker said. "We just didn't want to push him anymore. He'd done his job at that point."

Kemp said it was easy to tell Colon had good stuff against the Jays.

"You could even see it from left field," Kemp said. "He was definitely moving the ball more. When he does that, it's tough to pick up that run."

Kemp singled and scored in the first, singled in the third, then doubled and scored in the fifth and sixth. He walked in his final plate appearance.

Freeman matched Washington's Ryan Zimmerman and Milwaukee's Eric Thames atop the NL home run leaderboard with a three-run shot off Leonel Campos. Freeman's long drive to center was the big blow in Atlanta's four-run sixth.

Freeman has connected against all 10 teams Atlanta has faced this season.

Markakis hit a two-run single in the first and singled home a run in the fifth.

Braves third baseman Adonis Garcia had two RBI and scored twice. Shortstop Dansby Swanson also had two RBI.

Making his second start of the season, Blue Jays right-hander Mike Bolsinger (0-2) allowed six runs in 4 2/3 innings.

"It was a tough outing for him," manager John Gibbons said. "I didn't think he had his good curveball, which is kind of vital to him."

Toronto's Justin Smoak hit a two-run homer off Josh Collmenter in the ninth.

Devon Travis had two RBI doubles for the Blue Jays and Jose Bautista also doubled home a run. Catcher Mike Ohlman delivered an RBI single in the fourth for the first hit of his career.

LEAVING THEIR MARK

The Blue Jays set a franchise record by hitting five batters. Bolsinger hit Brandon Phillips in the first, Garcia in the second and Jace Peterson in the fourth. Campos hit Tyler Flowers in the sixth and Aaron Loup hit Markakis in the eighth.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"He was feeling a little puny, if that's possible." -- Snitker on the 280-pound Colon's illness.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Blue Jays: LF Steve Pearce (right calf) was placed on the 10-day disabled list and RHP Leonel Campos was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo ... Gibbons said 3B Josh Donaldson (right calf) could be ready to return as soon as this weekend. Donaldson has not played since April 13. ... SS Troy Tulowitzki (right hamstring) went 1 for 3 with an RBI at Class A Dunedin. Tulowitzki's double play partner was Cavan Biggio, the son of former Astros star Craig Biggio.

UP NEXT

Braves: LHP Jaime Garcia (1-2, 4.33 ERA) is 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA in three career starts against the Blue Jays.

Blue Jays: RHP Marco Estrada (2-2, 3.12) allowed two runs in six innings to beat Seattle in his previous outing, winning for the second time in three starts.

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