PHOENIX – Things were looking good for the Braves on Sunday at Chase Field. Justin Upton had just hit a two-run home run against his former team for a 2-0 lead in the top of the sixth, and Aaron Harang had retired the Diamondbacks in order in the bottom of the inning including two on strikeouts.
But things can change quickly in a ballpark known to favor hitters, and man, did the afternoon go sideways quickly for the Braves in the seventh inning.
Things went awry in a six-run Arizona inning that featured two-run homers by David Peralta and Paul Goldschmidt, propelling the Diamondbacks to a 6-5 victory that clinched the three-game series.
The Braves didn’t roll over after the six-run outburst. They mounted a two-run rally in the eighth that began with a Freddie Freeman home run. A walk and a hit later, rookie Tommy La Stella drove in a run – the second RBI of his career – to cut the lead to 6-4. But after Andrelton Simmons walked to load the bases, Gerald Laird struck out.
Ramiro Pena hit a home run on the first pitch of the ninth inning for the Braves’ final run.
The Braves dropped the last two games of the series, giving up big home runs and costly walks while blowing leads in both losses and raising more concerns about a bullpen that has looked increasingly vulnerable in recent weeks.
Harang (4-5) was charged with four hits, three runs and six walks in six innings. He didn’t give up a hit until Peralta’s leadoff single in the fifth.
By then he’d already walked four and worked out of a couple of jams, and he escaped from an even more precarious situation in the fifth after the Diamondbacks loaded the bases on Peralta’s hit, a walk by No. 8 hitter Cody Ross, and a bunt single by pitcher Chase Anderson, the first hit of his career.
Anderson (5-0) limited the Braves to five hits and two runs with one walk and eight strikeouts in seven innings.
The bases were loaded with none out, but Harang made escape look as easy as, well, 1-2-3: He induced a comebacker by Gerardo Parra and threw to home for the force to start a 1-2-3 double play, then struck out Chris Owings.
He struck out Goldschmidt and Montero to start the sixth and make it three K’s in a row, then got Martin Prado to line out to end the inning and make it six outs in a span of five batters. But those would be the last outs recorded by Harang.
After allowing a leadoff single by Aaron Hill in the seventh, Harang gave up a game-tying homer by Peralta, the first of his career. The rookie already on Saturday became the first Diamondbacks player to hit safely in his first seven major-league games.
Harang walked Ross again before manager Fredi Gonzalez brought in left-hander Luis Avilan, who walked the first batter he faced, pinch-hitter Eric Chavez. Leadoff man Parra laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners, and right-hander David Hale was brought in to face Chris Owings.
Owings singled through the left side to score both for a 4-2 lead, and Goldschmidt followed with a long homer on Hale’s 3-1 fastball to push the lead to 6-2.
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