SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. (Interstat) — Martín Pérez pitched seven scoreless innings and Atlanta scored three runs in the eighth to beat Tampa Bay 3-1 on Thursday afternoon at Truist Park, ending a three-game losing streak and avoiding a sweep. The Braves improved to 86-61 and pushed their National League East lead to four games over Philadelphia. The Rays fell to 87-59 after winning the first two games of the series. The game was played in the afternoon.

Pérez was Atlanta’s top star. He allowed four hits over seven innings, struck out four and kept Tampa Bay off the scoreboard. He did not receive the decision, but his outing allowed the Braves to stay close until their offense broke through late. Atlanta pitchers combined for seven strikes, 26 balls and seven balls in play. Tampa Bay pitchers combined for 11 strikes, 45 balls and 11 balls in play.

Tampa Bay starter Nick Martinez matched Pérez for much of the afternoon. Martinez worked 6 1/3 innings, allowed two hits, gave up no earned runs and struck out three. Cam Booser followed with 2/3 of an inning without allowing a hit or a run. Casey Legumina pitched 2/3 of an inning and allowed one hit and no runs. Kevin Kelly took the loss after allowing the decisive rally. Kelly fell to 6-4.

The Rays threatened in the first. Yandy Díaz singled, Ryan Vilade singled and Jonny DeLuca singled to load the bases with one out. Chandler Simpson then grounded into a double play that ended the inning without a run. Tampa Bay finished with five hits. Atlanta finished with seven hits.

Atlanta’s first scoring chance came in the first when Matt Olson singled with two outs, but Michael Harris II flew out to left. The Braves went down in order in the second and third. In the second, Mauricio Dubón grounded out, Dominic Smith struck out and Austin Riley grounded out. In the third, Brewer Hicklen grounded out, Ha-Seong Kim popped out and Drake Baldwin flew out.

Tampa Bay put together a two-out rally in the sixth. Junior Caminero walked, and Jonny DeLuca singled to put runners on first and second. Chandler Simpson then bunted and was called out at first after a replay review upheld the call. The Rays also got a walk from Nick Fortes in the fifth, but Cedric Mullins lined out to end that inning. In the seventh, Nick Madrigal grounded out, Jorge Mateo flew out and Fortes grounded out.

Atlanta’s Michael Harris II lined out in the fourth, and the Braves went quietly in the fifth and sixth. In the sixth, Kim singled with one out, but Baldwin flew out to left. In the seventh, Ronald Acuña Jr. popped out, Olson flew out and Harris lined out. Tampa Bay’s eighth began with Mullins grounding out, Díaz striking out and Vilade lining out to pitcher Didier Fuentes.

The Braves finally broke through in the eighth. Ozzie Albies, who entered as a pinch hitter, tripled to right-center off Kelly. Austin Riley followed with an RBI single through the right side of a drawn-in infield. Mike Yastrzemski then pinch-hit a ground-rule double down the right-field line, moving Riley to third. Ha-Seong Kim singled to center, scoring both Riley and Yastrzemski. Drake Baldwin followed with a single, but Acuña grounded into a double play to end the inning. The three runs matched what Atlanta had scored over its previous 34 innings combined. Didier Fuentes earned the win with a scoreless inning in relief, allowing no hits and striking out one. He improved to 6-2.

Tampa Bay answered in the ninth. Junior Caminero grounded out before Victor Mesa Jr. hit a pinch-hit home run to right-center off Raisel Iglesias. Chandler Simpson walked, but Iglesias struck out Liam Hicks after a pitch-result challenge was confirmed. Jonathan Aranda then grounded out to first to end the game. Iglesias allowed one run on one hit with one strikeout and recorded his 32nd save.

Ha-Seong Kim went 2-for-3 with two RBIs for Atlanta. Ozzie Albies went 1-for-1 with the triple. Mike Yastrzemski went 1-for-1 with the double. For Tampa Bay, Victor Mesa Jr. went 1-for-1 with the homer and one RBI. Nick Martinez allowed two hits over 6 1/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Martín Pérez allowed four hits over seven scoreless innings with four strikeouts. Raisel Iglesias allowed one run on one hit with one strikeout. Didier Fuentes allowed no hits over one scoreless inning with one strikeout. Cam Booser and Casey Legumina each recorded scoreless relief outings.

The game took 2 hours, 7 minutes and drew 31,664 to Truist Park. Atlanta hosts Philadelphia for a three-game series beginning Friday. Tampa Bay returns home to face Houston on Friday. The Rays had won the first two games of the series by scores of 7-2 and 7-1. Atlanta had lost three straight before Thursday.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Tampa Bay 5, Atlanta 4. Interstat’s ELO system gave Atlanta a 52 percent chance to win. Tampa Bay was installed as the pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 4 went over the over/under line of 8.5.