SEATTLE - Freddie Freeman became just the second Atlanta batter to get a hit off Seattle starter Erik Bedard and his tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh inning gave the Braves a 3-1 win over the Mariners on Monday night.

Bedard (4-6) fooled most of the Braves lineup before trying to sneak a high fastball past Freeman. Freeman hit his ninth homer of the season, barely eluding the reach of Seattle's Franklin Gutierrez, who climbed the wall in center field only to come up a few feet short.

Freeman's homer made a winner out of young right-hander Brandon Beachy (3-1), who struck out nine in six strong innings before turning it over to the Braves' stellar bullpen. George Sherrill, Scott Linebrink and Eric O'Flaherty got through the seventh and eighth and Craig Kimbrel pitched the ninth for his 21st save in 26 chances.

Bedard was a hard-luck loser despite his 12th straight start giving up three earned runs or less. He gave up a first-inning homer to Brian McCann - his 14th of the season and fifth in the last eight games - and later two singles. He issued just one walk, to Wilkin Ramirez in the third inning, while the rest of the Braves lineup was a combined 0 for 18 before Freeman stepped up with one-out in the seventh.

Freeman had put on a power display during batting practice, rattling the facade of the upper deck in right field, then showed off some of that pop.

Bedard gave up four hits and struck out five.

Making his second start since coming off the disabled list, Beachy was nearly his best. He struck out five his first time through the Mariners lineup and nine total, just two short of his career high. He allowed three hits and four total baserunners, but made one crucial mistake.

Leading off the fourth inning, Beachy left a 3-1 fastball over the middle of the plate and Adam Kennedy slapped it into the seats in right for his sixth homer of the season.

But continuing with their struggles scoring, the Mariners missed a perfect opportunity to take the lead an inning later. Mike Carp led off with double down the left-field line, snapping an 0-for-11 streak. He moved to third when Gutierrez smartly rolled a grounder to second base.

Maligned third baseman Chone Figgins weakly fouled out down the third-base line, drawing a cascade of thunderous boos. Beachy then ended the inning by striking out Ichiro Suzuki for the second time.

Seattle briefly threatened in the seventh. Rookie Dustin Ackley led off with a single against Sherrill before Miguel Olivo's drive to deep left-center. But Nate McLouth had time to sprint over and make a sliding grab in front of the warning track. After Carp's infield single, Linebrink entered and got Gutierrez to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Notes: Atlanta's Jason Heyward batted leadoff for the first time in his career and went 1 for 4 with a double in the eighth off reliever Aaron Laffey. ... Braves RHP Tommy Hanson will come off the DL on Tuesday to make his first start since going on the DL June 13 with shoulder tendinitis. ... Ackley continued his impressive debut, now having hit safely in eight of his 10 games and reached base in all 10 games since the prized prospect made his debut on June 17.