Mistakes cost D-backs from start to finish in loss to Braves
PHOENIX --Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson made a diving stop on the outfield grass and cut down Nick Ahmed at home plate for the final out to preserve Atlanta's 5-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in 10 innings Saturday night.
Atlanta got two runs in the top of the 10th to go up 5-3. Freddie Freeman scored on first baseman Paul Goldschmidt's throwing error, and Ender Inciarte followed with an RBI triple.
In the bottom of the inning, with runners at second and third, A.J. Pollock grounded a two-out single up the middle. Steven Souza Jr. scored from third, but Ahmed tried to come all the way around from second and was thrown out by Swanson to end the game.
The victory boosted Atlanta's lead in the NL East to 3 games over Philadelphia. Arizona fell 2 1/2 games behind first-place Colorado in the NL West.
Neither team led by more than one run until the 10th.
Freeman drew a leadoff walk from Andrew Chafin (1-5), and Nick Markakis hit a slow roller to first. Goldschmidt tossed the ball wide of the bag and into the Braves dugout, one of four Arizona errors.
Souza robbed Kurt Suzuki of at least a double with a leaping grab at the right-field fence, but Inciarte followed with a triple that made it 5-3.
Chad Sabotka (1-0) got the final out in the ninth for his first major league win.
With some difficulty, A.J. Minter picked up his 13th save in 15 tries.
Both teams threatened in the ninth. Swanson tripled off Yoshihisa Hirano with one out but was stranded when pinch-hitter Lucas Duda struck out and, after Ronald Acuna Jr. was intentionally walked, Johan Camargo grounded out.
Arizona, with the help of a throwing error by Camargo at third, loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth but Daniel Descalso lined out to center.
Suzuki put the Braves up 3-2 with a two-out solo home run off Jake Diekman in the eighth, but Arizona answered in its half of the inning.
Descalso lined a two-out double off the center-field wall against Dan Winkler to score David Peralta from first and tie it at 3.
There were four errors in the first two innings, three by Arizona, resulting in a 2-2 deadlock.
Acuna doubled on the game's first pitch and scored when Peralta bobbled Camargo's single to left field. Markakis' sacrifice fly made it 2-0.
The Diamondbacks got an unearned run in the first when Pollock came home from first on Goldschmidt's foul pop to the railing beyond first base. Freeman's throw home came in plenty of time, but Suzuki dropped it.
Arizona tied it 2-all in the second when pitcher Clay Buchholz's two-out double to left-center scored Souza from first. It was the first RBI and extra-base hit in 45 career at-bats for Buchholz.
UP NEXT
Arizona sends left-hander Robbie Ray to the mound, seeking a split of the four-game series. Atlanta counters with Touki Toussaint, a former first-round draft pick by the Diamondbacks.
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