ATLANTA -- Freddie Freeman said before the game the slumping Braves needed an immediate turnaround. The power-hitting first baseman then backed up his challenge at the plate. Freeman hit a three-run homer, one of four by Atlanta, and the Braves beat the Oakland Athletics 7-2 on Friday night in the opening game of the interleague series. Justin Upton and Evan Gattis hit homers off Jason Hammel (1-5) in the second inning. Rookie Phil Gosselin hit a two-run homer, the first of his career, off Jesse Chavez in the sixth. The Braves had not scored more than four runs in any of their past six games. They entered the game having lost 12 of 15. Atlanta is six games behind first-place Washington in the NL East. "Everyone wants to say we cant panic, but weve got to go," Freeman said before the game. "... The time is now." After the game, Freeman applauded Atlantas power surge. "That was a good night," Freeman said, noting Oakland brought the majors best record to Atlanta. "We always play those teams the hardest, and it was no different tonight," Freeman said. Alex Wood (9-9) allowed two runs in six innings -- a two-run homer by Nate Freiman in the fourth. The As have lost three straight and five of six. "Were just going through a tough time right now," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "You start to press a little bit offensively and it can be contagious as a group. You start swinging at some pitches out of the zone. Were pretty good about looking for our pitch and waiting for it. We havent been as good here recently." Wood allowed four hits in six innings. Relievers David Carpenter, Jordan Walden and James Russell combined for three perfect innings. Hammel allowed five runs and six hits, including three homers, in three innings. He was pulled after walking B.J. Upton to open the fourth. "Three-run homers do some damage," Hammel said. "Solo ones you can deal with, but that third one obviously was a big one. "Otherwise I felt great. My body hasnt felt that good in a while." The Braves had their second four-homer game of the homestand and only their fourth game with four or more homers this season. They also hit four homers in a 7-6 win over Washington on Aug. 8. Before that, the Braves hadnt hit four homers in a game since May 25 against Colorado. Their high mark was five homers at Philadelphia on April 14. Freemans homer, his 17th, drove in Jason Heyward and Gosselin, who reached on singles. Justin Upton leads Atlanta with 22 homers. Chris Johnson was credited with a ground-rule double when As centerfielder Coco Crisp lost his deep fly ball in the lights in the third. The ball landed well behind Crisp and bounced over the wall. Hammel hit Gattis with a pitch and then escaped the jam. A NIGHT OF FIRSTS Gosselins first homer came in his first start at shortstop. He previously started two games at second base and one at third. His homer followed a two-out fielding error by Freiman, the first baseman, on Heywards grounder. "It was awesome just to contribute to a win tonight and get the series off on the right foot," Gosselin said. OVERTURNED After Wood issued one-out walks to Jonny Gomes and Josh Donaldson in the first, the left-hander made a pickoff throw to second base. Umpire Ted Barrett called Gomes safe. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez challenged the ruling and the call was overturned following a review of 1 minute, 50 seconds. The ruling proved important when Derek Norris followed with a single to left field that likely would have driven in Gomes from second. TRAINERS ROOM Athletics: CF Craig Gentry, on the 15-day disabled list with a broken right hand, will take batting practice with Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday. Braves: LF Justin Upton started after leaving Thursday nights game with a mild left hamstring strain. ... SS Andrelton Simmons was held out after having two teeth extracted. UP NEXT Athletics: RHP Sonny Gray will try to snap a streak of losses in three straight starts in Saturday nights game. The three-game skid is the longest of his career. Braves: RHP Julio Teheran will try to improve his 2-3 career interleague record in his first appearance against Oakland. He is 1-2 with a 2.41 ERA in two starts against AL teams this season. Calvin Johnson Jersey . The match, billed as a "next-gen" encounter between two of the sports rising stars, lasted two and a half hours. The loss kept Raonic, from Thornhill, Ont., from reaching a third fourth-round spot in Melbourne over the past four years. T.J. Hockenson Jersey . After not scoring 40 points in the opening quarter in the last five seasons, the Rockets have done it five times this season and twice in the last three games. http://www.cheapdetroitlionsjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=authentic-barry-sanders-jersey . He just didnt expect them to be this good. Darrun Hilliard scored 19 points to lead No. 6 Villanova to a dominating 77-59 victory over Georgetown on Saturday, preserving the Wildcats hopes of a No. Will Harris Jersey . A criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County District Court said his girlfriend told police they got into the argument early Thursday at his suburban Minneapolis home. Wholesale Lions Jerseys . -- C.J. Wilson parked his car and laughed while signing autographs for faceless fans who handed bats, balls and cards to the pitcher from the other side of a brick wall.Montreal Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien has made it clear that he believes PK Subban is making a case to join Team Canada at the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. Subban has started off his season strong, ranking sixth in the NHL in assists with 20 and 23rd in points with 24. Yet the question remains, should Subban be on Canadas Olympic roster? Subbans skill-set as an offensive defenceman limits his competition for a position on the team, but it also restricts his chances. Team Canada is expected to feature a mix of defensive and puck-moving players on the back end, including 2010 members Duncan Keith, Drew Doughty, Shea Weber. Other names in the mix that excel at moving the puck include Jay Bouwmeester, Dan Boyle, Alex Pietrangelo and Kris Letang. Marc Staal is also in the running for a roster spot. Subban won the Norris Trophy as the leagues outstanding defenceman in last season and Therrien has continued to praise Subbans strong play.dddddddddddd "As far as Im concerned, hes playing his best hockey. His focus is at the right place," said Therrien after the Canadiens win over Devils Monday night. "Hes doing a fabulous job for the team. Were putting him out there against top players, game in and game out. And he loves that challenge. And its not a coincidence that were having success, that we pick up wins. "Hes certainly one of the best defencemen right now." Though Subban is the best Canadiens defenceman, he is not the best Canadian defenceman, leaving him on the fence when it comes to Canadas roster. While his puck-moving ability is unquestioned, he remains a player with a style of play that can bring high reward but also high risk. Will the Team Canada staff feel comfortable with that scenario? Should PK Subban be one of the seven defenceman at the 2014 Games? As always, its Your! Call. 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