PHOENIX (AP) -- Brian McCann and the Braves are
rolling, while the battered Arizona Diamondbacks are
sputtering.
For the second straight night, that added
up to an Atlanta rout.
McCann hit a two-run homer,
Freddie Freeman had a pair of RBI doubles and Atlanta beat the Arizona
Diamondbacks 9-1 on Friday.
Brandon Beachy (2-1)
allowed four hits in 7 1-3 scoreless innings, striking out five and
walking none as the Braves won their fourth in a row and ninth in 10
games after starting the season 0-4. In those 10 games, the Braves have
scored 74 runs.
"It's unbelievable," Beachy said.
"They give me a one-run lead and then they build on it. The next thing
you know I'm out there pitching and it's 7-0."
Trevor
Cahill (1-1) gave up seven runs, four earned, and seven hits over 5 2-3
innings in his Chase Field debut for the Diamondbacks. Arizona has lost
four straight, all at home.
"They are playing well,"
Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said. "We aren't playing so well right now,
but we will be."
Atlanta has won the first two of
the four-game series by a combined score of
19-3.
"Hitting's contagious," Freeman said, "and when
people are getting hits, you want to go up there and knock them in. You
don't want to lose those opportunities. Everybody feels good right now
and everybody's taking advantage of it."
Freeman, who
homered twice in Thursday night's 10-2 win, doubled in a run in the
third and another in the sixth. The Braves' leader with 13 RBIs, he also
singled and walked.
"I was pretty dialed in last
year about July," Freeman said. "I feel about the same right now. I'm
just getting the pitches to hit and I'm not missing
them."
Paul Goldschmidt singled twice and walked for
the Diamondbacks, scuffling offensively without injured Chris Young and
Justin Upton.
Atlanta scored in the third when Martin
Prado singled, then raced home from first on Freeman's double to the
right-field corner.
Cahill retired the first two
batters on groundouts in the fifth, but he walked Freeman on a 3-2
count, then McCann lined a 2-1 pitch over the right-field fence.
McCann's third home run of the season put Atlanta up
3-0.
A fielding error by second baseman Aaron Hill on
Chipper Jones' grounder opened the way for the Braves' four-run
sixth.
Jason Heyward followed with a single. After a
fielder's choice put runners at first and third, Beachy put down a bunt
and Jones beat Cahill's throw home. Michael Bourn's double brought in
another run, then Prado's sacrifice fly made it
6-0.
Craig Breslow relieved Cahill and gave up a
double to Freeman, this one to the left-field corner, that scored the
Braves' seventh run of the night.
Atlanta tacked on
two runs in the ninth, including a bases-loaded walk by Arizona reliever
Joe Paterson.
"There's really not much for me to
say," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said, "other than, let's just keep
it rolling. Let's play again
tomorrow."
NOTES: Beachy has
allowed one earned run in three starts, giving him a 0.47 ERA. ...
Heyward extended his hitting streak to 10 games, matching his career
high. ... Jones was back after sitting out Thursday night's series
opener to have fluid drained from his surgically repaired left knee. ...
Upton again was out of the Arizona lineup with a sore thumb, although
he was available as a pinch-runner. ... The Diamondbacks last lost four
straight at home Sept. 4-7, 2010. .... Arizona sends lefty Joe Saunders
(1-0, 0.64 ERA) to the mound against Tommy Hanson (1-2, 3.71) on
Saturday night.
