Field Level Media
Sep 9, 2018
Atlanta's Ender Inciarte hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the ninth inning, and Luca Duda and Johan Camargo also homered in the six-run frame as the Braves rallied for a 9-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday in Phoenix.
Tyler Flowers and Ozzie Albies singled to open the ninth inning off closer Brad Boxberger (2-7) before Inciarte, who squared to bunt on the first four pitches, hit a 3-2 pitch for his 10th homer of the season and a 6-4 lead.
Duda had a pinch-hit homer and Camargo added a two-run homer in the ninth, both off rookie right-hander Yoan Lopez in his major league debut. The Braves took their third victory in the four-game series, all coming in their final at-bat. Camargo had three homers in the series.
Jon Jay had two singles and an RBI, and Nick Ahmed had a two-run single in a four-run sixth inning for the Diamondbacks (76-67), who remained 2 1/2 games behind the National League West-leading Diamondbacks (78-64). The teams will meet in a four-game series in Colorado starting Monday.
Arizona has lost seven of nine and also is two games behind second-place Los Angeles (78-65) in the NL West.
Boxberger, who has 32 saves, has given up eight runs in his past 5 1/3 innings.
Ronald Acuna Jr. had two hits, two walks, three runs and a stolen base for the Braves, who pushed their NL East lead over Philadelphia to 4 1/2 games, tied for their biggest margin of the season.
Acuna's two-run, opposite-field homer in the top of the sixth inning made it 2-0 after starter Touki Toussaint broke up Arizona left-hander Robbie Ray's no-hitter on a ground single to left field with one out.
Acuna leads major league rookies with 25 homers and also has 14 stolen bases. He has 18 homers and 34 RBIs in 49 games since the All-Star break. Acuna walked with one out in the eighth inning off Jake Diekman, took second on a groundout and scored on Freddie Freeman's single to center field to cut Atlanta's deficit to 4-3.
Rookie right-hander Toussaint, making his third major league start, gave up one hit through five innings before the Diamondbacks broke through. He allowed two hits and two runs in 5 2/3 innings, with five strikeouts and five walks. He was Arizona's first-round pick in the 2014 draft before being traded to Atlanta in 2015.
Jay's single in the third inning was Arizona's only hit in the first five innings. Paul Goldschmidt drew his 651st career walk with two outs in the third, breaking a tie with Luis Gonzalez for the franchise record.
--Field Level Media