Put a runner at third base with less than two outs, and that’s a rally. But the way the Braves are playing right now it was only a brick wall for Arizona.
The Diamondbacks supplied that scenario twice in the final four innings Sunday against the Braves and came away empty in a 1-0 loss.
First baseman Freddie Freeman made a basket catch in foul territory and gunned one home to get former Braves player Kelly Johnson in the first case, and closer Craig Kimbrel coolly struck out two batters to get out of the second jam to end the game.
Tim Hudson pitched seven shutout innings, Jonny Venters covered the eighth and Kimbrel moved within a save of matching Neftali Feliz’s rookie record of 40 set last year for the World Series-bound Rangers.
“If the team wasn’t playing good, I wouldn’t even have the chance to do it,” Kimbrel said. “It’s as much of a team thing as it is a personal thing.”
After completing a weekend sweep to go 6-1 in back-to-back series against the Giants and Diamondbacks, the Braves are honing in on the postseason again, too. In that span, they widened their wild-card lead on the Giants from five games to eight.
“I just think we’re playing with a purpose,” said Hudson, now 13-7 and leading the Braves staff in wins.
Alex Gonzalez’s solo home run in the third inning supplied all of the offense needed Sunday. It was the Braves' seventh home run of the series, and 13th of the homestand.
“In April, May, June, July, that’s what we’ve done,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “We’ve been able to pitch when our offense wasn’t swinging the bat and keep us in ballgames. It’s nice to see that again.”
It was the third 1-0 win for the Braves this season, and second in the past four days, following Mike Minor’s 1-0 win over Tim Lincecum and the Giants. Gonzalez also hit a solo home run in Tommy Hanson’s 1-0 win on June 7 in Florida.
With the way Arizona starter Josh Collmenter has baffled Braves hitters with his over-the-top delivery -- allowing only one run in 13 innings in two starts this season -- Hudson was ready to bear down. He gave up only three hits, walked three and struck out seven.
Johnson was only the third Diamondbacks player to touch second base against Hudson on his leadoff triple in the sixth inning. Johnson didn’t risk trying to score on a groundout to Gonzalez with the infield in, but, when he saw Freeman turn his back to go after Chris Young's pop-up in foul territory, he tagged up.
Freeman caught it over the shoulder, turned, planted and fired home, where McCann made a diving tag to get Johnson to end the sixth.
“It was a great play by Freddie,” Hudson said. “He’s been great all year. He’s been playing some Gold Glove first base. It’s another element of his game that could warrant rookie of the year.”
Freeman’s toughest competition for rookie of the year comes from Kimbrel, who has pitched 30 2/3 innings since June 11 without giving up a run.
Kimbrel gave up a one-out walk and single to put runners at the corners in the ninth on Sunday, but he didn’t flinch. He struck out Paul Goldschmidt for the second out and got Sean Burroughs to end the game. In the process, Kimbrel collected his 100th and 101st strikeouts of the year – which leads all major league relievers.
“I felt confident the whole time,” Kimbrel said of his ninth-inning jam. “As soon as I slip up and quit feeling confident in myself, they’ll probably get me.”
