Braves Avoid 5th Straight Loss Against Diamondbacks
Written by Jeff Demers on 05/11/2019
It wasn’t a pretty game by any means but the Atlanta Braves finally managed to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night by a final score of 2-1.
In their previous four meetings, including three in Atlanta, the Braves had lost all four, and were also swept while hosting Arizona. So to say that tonight’s win was a relief was an understatement.
Tonight’s game was a pitchers duel from the beginning. The Atlanta Braves went with Julio Teheran who came into tonight struggling with a 2-4 record and an ERA over 4.60. The Diamondbacks countered with their ace, Zack Greinke, who had came into tonight’s game with a record of 5-1 and an ERA of 3.42.
Neither team really got it going offensively until the top of the fourth inning when Dansby Swanson tripled to right field and then was driven in on a single to right field by Freddie Freeman.
The Diamondbacks would tie it up, but not until the sixth inning after a Katel Marte double to left field. He was then driven in by David Peralta who followed Marte’s double with a triple to right field.
The game stayed tied at 1-1 until the top of the 8th when Ronald Acuna hit a two-out solo home run off the centerfield wall, just above the yellow line to give the Braves a 2-1 lead.
And that’s how it finished as the Braves avoided their fifth-straight loss to the Diamondbacks this season with the 2-1 victory. The win goes to Dan Winkler for the Braves, his first of the year. The loss for the Diamondbacks gets taken by Yoan Lopez, his first of the year. Prior to giving up the home run to Acuna, Lopez had only allowed a single run in his 15 previous innings to start the season.
The two teams will continue their four-game series tomorrow night at Chase Field. The Braves will have Kevin Gausman on the mound. The Diamondbacks will counter with Merrill Kelly.
