Corbin Carroll sets tone in skid-snapping victory over Braves

PHOENIX — In the words of starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt, Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll set the tone for Arizona’s 6-4 win over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, which snapped a four-game slide.

Carroll saved a run in the first inning by tracking down a fly ball, setting his feet and firing a one-hopper to the plate to cut down Alex Verdugo on a potential sacrifice fly.

The Braves had runners on second and third with nobody out against Pfaadt and did not score, as Pfaadt struck out slugger Matt Olson following the double play.

“Definitely was and continues to be,” Carroll said regarding his focus on improving his throwing strength. “I just want to make sure I help my pitchers by not giving up free bases where we don’t have to.

“Make sure it’s not something that can be attacked, and so far this year I feel like I’ve been able to do that. Hope to keep the strength and accuracy going in the right direction.”

Carroll then laced a triple into the left-center field gap to lead off the bottom half, hitting a gear so few players have the ability to tap into. He reached third base in 11.02 seconds, the fastest home-to-third of the year, per MLB researcher Sarah Langs. He scored on a Geraldo Perdomo ground out for a 1-0 lead.

Carroll tripled twice on Sunday, the first multi-triple game of his career and 13th ever by a Diamondback — David Peralta and Tony Womack are the only D-backs to have done it twice. He was even faster during his second three-bagger in the seventh inning, reaching third in 10.87 seconds.

“Between first and second, there’s like a decision point on most of those,” Carroll said. “If it’s a yes, just give it whatever I got.”

Carroll has four triples this season, which leads MLB. His nine home runs are second in the league to his teammate, Eugenio Suarez.

Corbin Carroll just recorded the two fastest home-to-third times in the Majors in one day!

1st inning triple: 11.02 seconds
7th inning triple: 10.87 seconds pic.twitter.com/P0hTCptK3y

— MLB (@MLB) April 27, 2025

The D-backs tacked on a Lourdes Gurriel Jr. sac fly in the second and RBI double from Alek Thomas in the fourth off Braves starter Spencer Schwellenbach. On Thomas’ double, Suarez appeared to be waved home and was thrown out by a mile. Suarez finished 1-for-3 with a walk after hitting four home runs on Saturday.

Pfaadt, meanwhile, continued work out of danger. After escaping the first unscathed, Pfaadt left another pair of ducks on the pond in the second.

Atlanta broke through with a Verdugo RBI double in the fifth — his third of four hits on Sunday — but Pfaadt left him there to maintain a 3-1 lead.

His offense rewarded him, as Geraldo Perdomo skied his fourth home run of the season just fair to take a 4-1 lead.

Brandon Pfaadt has 4 quality starts already

Arizona ran Pfaadt back out for the seventh inning, which began with a Suarez fielding error and back-to-back singles. Shelby Miller spelled Pfaadt to face the top of the order and allowed an RBI single to Verdugo, which put the tying run 90 feet away. Miller struck out Austin Riley and Marcell Ozuna before drawing an inning-ending pop-up to maintain the 4-3 lead.

Pfaadt’s book closed with six innings and two earned runs.

“I think we limited their power hitters, their main hitters in the middle of the order pretty well today,” Pfaadt said.

“Just trying to get us back on track and get us ready for this road trip.”

Pfaadt has completed six innings in five of his six starts, and the D-backs are 5-1 when he takes the mound. He’s given up one home run in his last four appearances.

On Sunday, Pfaadt struck out six batters and walked one. His 4.83 strikeout-to-walk ratio is top 20 in MLB.

“He just really gives us a chance,” Carroll said. “As an offense, not every game are you going to get rolling right away like we did today. The job he’s done of getting us in these ballgames and keeping us right there, it hasn’t been overlooked.”

Brandon Pfaadt, 94mph Painted Back Door Two Seamer. 🖌️🎨 pic.twitter.com/xSZHGl7eN9

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 27, 2025

Diamondbacks add on and hold on late

Josh Naylor led the Diamondbacks with three hits on Sunday, a big one coming with two outs in the seventh. Naylor lined a double that split outfielders Michael Harris II and Verdugo to plate a pair of insurance runs, which came in handy during a rocky ninth inning for Justin Martinez.

Martinez’s velocity was way down, and he started the frame with a hit-by-pitch and a walk. His average sinker velocity was 97 mph, down from a typical 100 mph. His four-seamer, slider and splitter were also down.

Ozuna doubled home a run and Martinez put the tying run aboard with another walk, but Ozzie Albies flew out to end the game.

Martinez missed some time with shoulder “fatigue,” and manager Torey Lovullo explained the concern level with his lowered velocity on Sunday.

“Of course I am concerned, that’s what we were talking about in my office right before I came in here,” Lovullo said.

“There’s logical reasons we have. Maybe six days off and we back-to-back him out of nowhere. Maybe a little bit of dead arm, a little bit of fatigue that he doesn’t know how to describe. We’re going to support him and we’re never going to put him in a situation to hurt himself. He says he’s fine. We believe he’s fine. But we are aware. I saw those numbers. It’s fairly alarming. I don’t like that.”

The Diamondbacks (15-13) finished the homestand against Atlanta and Tampa Bay 2-4 with three extra-inning losses. They will hit the road to face the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies.

Ketel Marte update

A day after Ketel Marte (hamstring strain) hit two home runs in an extended spring training game, he was at Chase Field watching the team from the dugout.

Lovullo said Marte will not travel to New York. The Philadelphia series, however, remains a possibility.

“Maybe, let’s keep our fingers crossed on that one,” Lovullo said.

Diamondbacks next game

The D-backs get Monday off before beginning their six-game road trip at Citi Field against the 19-9 Mets.

Eduardo Rodriguez, Corbin Burnes and Zac Gallen will pitch for the D-backs in Queens before the club heads to Philadelphia.

Each game will air on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app.

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