ATLANTA — Freddie Freeman has no idea where he stands in the NL MVP conversation. He just knows he's producing big numbers on a team that keeps winning.
"If I have to keep putting numbers up, I'll keep doing it," he said. "But I think we've got a pretty good team around me to take some pressure off."
Freeman homered twice off All-Star Lucas Giolito and drove in five runs, providing all the offense for the Atlanta Braves in their 5-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.
The Braves have won four straight and are 12-2 since Aug. 16, moving 30 games over .500 for the first time since 2013. They have won a season-best nine straight home games to stay 5 1/2 games ahead in the NL East.
The White Sox have lost six in a row.
Atlanta took a 2-0 lead in the first as Freeman, a four-time All-Star, homered to right. Giolito (14-8) retired his next 14 consecutive batters before Johan Camargo led off the sixth with a pinch-hit double and Freeman, who began the game tied for the major league lead in RBIs, followed with a tiebreaking, 410-foot shot to center.
"This is Freddie's team," Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. "He's our leader. He's the one everyone goes to, including me. He's got big shoulders, and he handles all of it. His perspective on things is second to none. Just a mature individual."
It marked the first time in seven starts that Giolito, who allowed four runs and four hits, gave up more than three runs. He was 3-2 with a 2.25 ERA over his previous six outings.
"Freeman, one of the best hitters in the league, showed that today," Giolito said. "I mean the fastball after a long at-bat (in the sixth), that was a poor pitch. But the first changeup I threw him — that doesn't usually happen on the first changeup I throw to a guy — but it just shows he's a good hitter. I tip my cap to him."
Freeman added an RBI single to right off Ryan Goins in the eighth, scoring a runner from second.
Julio Teheran (9-8) struck out José Abreu and Yoán Moncada to strand a runner at second in the first, but he floundered in the second, allowing consecutive walks and a two-run single to Giolito, the pitcher's first RBI in 13 career at-bats, to make it 2-all.
That ended a streak of 14 consecutive scoreless innings for Teheran, who gave up two runs and three hits in six innings.
The White Sox cut the lead to 4-3 in the seventh on Abreu's RBI single off Luke Jackson.
Closer Mark Melancon earned his eighth save and seventh with Atlanta by facing the minimum in the ninth.