The Braves played the toughest schedule in baseball through their first 27 games, based on opponent winning percentage. Finally facing a struggling opponent didn’t change their fortunes.
The Diamondbacks beat the Braves 7-2 on Friday to end a six-game losing streak. The Braves (7-21) lost for the third time in four games and dropped to 1-13 at Turner Field.
The Diamondbacks (13-18) took a three-run lead against rookie Aaron Blair and added four more runs against Braves relief pitchers. The Braves scratched out two runs against Zach Greinke (3-2) but couldn’t score over three innings against Arizona’s bullpen.
Blair’s third big-league start came against the team that traded him to the Braves during the offseason as part of a package for Shelby Miller. Blair allowed three runs (two earned) over five innings.
“Falling behind, leaving pitches up, it’s not a good combination to have,” Blair said. “I fought from inning one to inning five and just did what I could.”
Blair wasn’t efficient but he also didn’t get much help from his defense.
Nick Ahmed’s two-out single in the second inning fell in front of left fielder Adonis Garcia, whose throw to the plate was well off line as Chris Owings scored. The Braves’ defense also faltered during Arizona’s two-run third inning.
After Blair walked Paul Goldschmidt with one out, Blair had him caught off of first base on a pick-off throw to Freddie Freeman but Freeman’s throw to second base was high. Goldschmidt was safe with a steal, and then scored when David Peralta followed with a single.
The next batter, Welington Castillo, hit a ground ball down the third-base line that Reid Brignac couldn’t handle. The error allowed the ball to roll into the Garcia, and catcher A.J. Pierzynski couldn’t corral Garcia’s bouncing throw to the plate as Peralta scored for a 3-0 lead.
“We need to catch the ball,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “We didn’t help him out and subsequently you give guys extra outs and you’ve got extra pitches you’ve got to throw and all of a sudden you’ve got (92) pitches and can’t go any deeper in the game.”
Greinke, the NL Cy Young Award in 2009 and the runner-up in 2015, held the Braves scoreless with three singles through five innings. He limited the Braves to two runs in the sixth when it could have been more.
Mallex Smith and Nick Markakis singled with no outs to bring up Garcia, who hit a sharp infield single to score Smith with. Freddie Freeman grounded into a double play before Kelly Johnson walked and catcher Tyler Flowers hit an RBI single that cut the deficit to 4-2. Brignac followed with a hard line drive that went right to centerfielder Chris Owings to end the rally.
Greinke entered the game with a 5.50 ERA in six starts but found his rhythm while recording eight strikeouts against the Braves.
It was bound to happen,” Freeman said. “He was too good to be pitching like he has in the first few starts. He had everything working and he made the pitch when he needed to to me. That was a big part of the game right there and I didn’t come through.”
Pierzynski ejected
Home plate umpire Cory Blaser ejected Pierzynski in the fourth inning. After taking a called third strike, Pierzynski slammed his bat down and barked at Blaser on his way back to the dugout. Blaser appeared to warn Pierzynski before ejecting him as he continued to argue.
“I was upset with the situation because with the catchers you get a little more leeway,” Gonzalez said. “I was actually between A.J. and the umpire. You saw me come out there, you’ve got to give me a little bit of a chance. You can throw me out of the game. Now we’ve got to catch the next five innings with only one catcher on the bench and that doesn’t feel real good.”
