SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. (Interstat) — The Athletics, mired in an early-season slump, found an antidote for their woes Tuesday night in the form of a decisive second inning and a resilient pitching performance, snapping a four-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park.

A crowd of 30,799 watched as the Athletics, who entered the game with a winless record, capitalized on a patient approach against Braves starter José Suarez to erupt for three runs in the second frame and never relinquished the lead, improving to 1-4. The Braves, who had shut out just a day prior, fell to 3-2.

The most important part of the game unfolded in the top of the second inning, transforming the contest’s trajectory. After Brent Rooker’s leadoff single was erased by a double play, the Athletics’ offense ignited with two outs. Max Muncy worked a walk, and Andy Ibáñez followed by lacing a line-drive single to left field, scoring Muncy to tie the game at 1-1. Suarez then lost his command, issuing consecutive walks to Lawrence Butler and Denzel Clarke to load the bases. Shortstop Jacob Wilson stepped in and delivered the critical blow, drilling a ground-rule double down the left-field line to clear the bases, plating Ibáñez and Butler. The two-run double gave a 4-1 lead, providing crucial early support for starting pitcher Aaron Civale and shifting all momentum to the visiting dugout.

Civale, the winning pitcher, navigated five innings of work, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out three. His only blemishes were a solo home run to Drake Baldwin in the first inning and a sacrifice fly by Ronald Acuña Jr. in the fifth. Civale’s ability to limit damage after the Braves put multiple runners on base in the fifth was pivotal, preserving a 5-2 lead as he handed the game over to the bullpen.

The Athletics added single insurance runs in the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, Muncy doubled and scored on another RBI single from Ibáñez, who finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs. In the fifth, Shea Langeliers led off with a solo home run, his fourth of the season, to extend the lead to 5-1.

Following Civale, the bullpen authored four scoreless innings to seal the victory. Justin Sterner struck out two in a perfect sixth inning. Hogan Harris and Scott Barlow each contributed a flawless frame in the seventh and eighth, respectively. In the ninth, Mark Leiter Jr. secured his first save of the season, working around two singles by striking out Acuña Jr. and getting Baldwin to pop out to end the game with the tying run at the plate.

Offensively, the Athletics tallied eight hits, with Wilson’s two-run double standing as the key hit. The Braves managed six hits but went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. Baldwin’s first-inning homer provided Atlanta’s only early spark against Civale.

Suarez took the loss for Atlanta, surrendering five runs on six hits and three walks over 4 1/3 innings. Braves reliever Martín Pérez provided a bright spot with 4 1/3 innings of scoreless, two-hit relief, but the early deficit proved too large to overcome.

The victory halted a troubling start for Oakland, which had been outscored 20-11 in its first four games, including three one-run losses. The Braves saw a modest two-game win streak end and will look to reclaim the series advantage in the finale Wednesday.

According to pregame projections, the result was an upset. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 5-3 Braves victory, and its ELO system gave Atlanta a 59.1% probability to win. The Braves had also been installed as a -1.5 run favorite. The combined seven runs fell under the posted over/under line of 9.

The Athletics continue their road trip with the series finale against the Braves on Wednesday before heading home to host the Houston Astros. Atlanta will conclude its series with before embarking on a lengthy road trip to Arizona and Los Angeles to face the Angels.