ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

A catch, a homer and a bloop push D-backs past Braves

May 9, 2019, 11:16 PM | Updated: May 10, 2019, 8:26 am
Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte, right, celebrates his walk-off single against the Atlanta Braves...
Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte, right, celebrates his walk-off single against the Atlanta Braves in the 10th inning with David Peralta, middle, and Merrill Kelly, left, in a baseball game Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks won 3-2. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

PHOENIX — Greg Holland might be in a rut.

Allowing an earned run for the third consecutive game might have put the Arizona Diamondbacks closer in an even tougher position. Luckily for the D-backs, his teammates were there to prop him up.

Holland tee’d up Braves third baseman Josh Donaldson for a home run with no outs in the top of the ninth inning on Thursday at Chase Field, and a 1-1 stalemate turned into a 2-1 Atlanta lead. But it didn’t hold.

Diamondbacks outfielder David Peralta ripped a Luke Jackson pitch over the right-field wall with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, tying the game at 2-2 and leading to extras. Arizona just needed a 10th-inning walk of Nick Ahmed and single by Carson Kelly with no outs set up a Ketel Marte pinch-hit walk-off that fell between three Braves.

“We fought back a little bit in the last inning,” Peralta said of the 3-2 win at Chase Field. “We always back each other. Holland’s been doing a great job, and I told him, ‘Don’t worry … we got your back.'”

The D-backs edged Atlanta on a night when two up-and-coming arms matched one another blow-for-blow. Atlanta 21-year-old Mike Soroka allowed one run in 6.0 innings, while Arizona 25-year-old Luke Weaver went 7.0 frames, striking out six while also allowing a run.

Weaver was rolling through most of it. And then for the last few innings of service, he was fuming.

Just when the Braves caught wind of what the Diamondbacks starter was trying to do, just as his stuff started to get hit with stronger contact, Arizona’s outfielders were behind him. Just like they were behind Holland.

Right fielder Adam Jones reeled in a would-be two-run homer by Ronald Acuna Jr. to end the top of the sixth, leaving a clearly perturbed Weaver grateful after his 89th pitch.

“Jonesy was just so nonchalant out there,” Weaver said. “I thought maybe it was just a flyout at the warning track and then all of a sudden he hopped up like he was in BP or something and was just trying to look cool for the teammates.

“Let the record show, my facial expression was not all that great. I am mad at myself for that but I was just more in shock.”

With Weaver’s 92nd pitch, Peralta made a diving catch on his belly on a Nick Markakis liner before Atlanta’s Dansby Swanson popped out to shallow right as Jones streaked in to make another out.

Jones needed to retreat to the fence once again for the third out of the seventh.

“We won that game because of our defense,” Weaver said.

Through it all, the D-backs and the Braves were still tied, 1-1.

Weaver allowed three hits in his second seven-inning outing in a row, tying a season-high after he went the same length in his last game against the Colorado Rockies. It was especially crucial after the Arizona bullpen got worn down a day prior during a 13-inning win over the Tampa Bay Rays that ate through seven relievers.

The games on Wednesday and Thursday marked the first time since August 2013 that Arizona had played in back-to-back games of extra frames.

On Thursday, Arizona opened the day’s scoring when Christian Walker’s first career triple bounced into the far-right-field corner nook. A groundout RBI by Wilmer Flores gave Arizona a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning.

Former D-back Ender Inciarte took first base in the top of the third inning on a hit-by-pitch and gave the Braves their first run on a rocket of an Ozzie Albies double that hit off the center-field wall, tying the game, 1-1.

Both teams went scoreless until Donaldson smacked Holland’s slider in the ninth.

“I know the other outings have not been pristine, but that’s to be expected,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said of Holland. “We feel good about his outings and we know that they haven’t been perfect, but minimal concern for me.”

Arizona, at 22-16, has earned the right not to panic about Holland’s recent play or otherwise. So far, the D-backs are not letting one or two bad moments within a game doom them.

“There were so many moments where guys just kinda said, ‘You take it,’ hand it off to the next guy, ‘I’ll set it up the best way I can,'” Lovullo said. “We put the bat down and had good at-bats, put the bat down and took our walks.

“It was a complete day. It would’ve been frustrating to lose this game.”

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Luke Weaver throws a pitch against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Mike Soroka throws a pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Diamondbacks' Jarrod Dyson, left, steals second base as Atlanta Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson, right, applies a late tag during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Diamondbacks' Christian Walker, left, scores a run as Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann, right, watches the movement of the ball during the second inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Diamondbacks' Christian Walker (53) celebrates his run scored against the Atlanta Braves with Carson Kelly, right, during the second inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eduardo Escobar, left, makes a catch before tagging out Atlanta Braves' Ozzie Albies at third base as Albies tried to stretch a double into a triple during the third inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Atlanta Braves' Ender Inciarte (11) celebrates after scoring against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the third inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed, left, throws to first baseman Christian Walker (53) at first base for the out on Atlanta Braves' Freddie Freeman during the third inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker (53) talks with pitcher Luke Weaver, left, as they both walk off the field after the third out during the third inning of the team's baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Mike Soroka flips the ball to first base for the out on Arizona Diamondbacks' David Peralta during the fifth inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Diamondbacks' Eduardo Escobar flips his bat in the air after swinging and missing on a second strike against the Atlanta Braves during the fifth inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Diamondbacks' Carson Kelly (18) yells at umpire Chris Segal, left, after being called out on strikes during the fourth inning of the team's baseball game against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Diamondbacks' Wilmer Flores grimaces after being hit by a pitch thrown by Atlanta Braves starter Mike Soroka during the sixth inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Diamondbacks left fielder David Peralta, front, makes a diving catch on a line drive hit by Atlanta Braves' Nick Markakis, while center fielder Jarrod Dyson, back, watches during the seventh inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Atlanta Braves' Dansby Swanson sits on the ground after fouling off a pitch that nearly hit him during the seventh inning of the team's baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Greg Holland, right, gets a new baseball after giving up a home run to Atlanta Braves' Josh Donaldson, left, during the ninth inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Atlanta Braves' Josh Donaldson connects for a home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the ninth inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Atlanta Braves' Josh Donaldson, right, celebrates his home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks with Freddie Freeman (5) during the ninth inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Diamondbacks' David Peralta celebrates his home run against the Atlanta Braves during the ninth inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte, right, celebrates his walk-off single against the Atlanta Braves in the 10th inning with David Peralta, middle, and Merrill Kelly, left, in a baseball game Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks won 3-2. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte hits a single to drive in the winning run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the 10th inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks won 3-2. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte, left, celebrates his game-winning single against the Atlanta Braves with Carson Kelly, right, during the 10th inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks wopn 3-2. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Diamondbacks' Nick Ahmed, left, scores the winning run as Atlanta Braves catcher Tyler Flowers, right, watches the celebration during the 10th inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks won 3-2. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte gets doused with water after his single drove in the winning run in the 10th inning of the team's baseball game against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks won 3-2. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) 
              Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte, right, celebrates his walk-off single against the Atlanta Braves in the 10th inning with David Peralta, middle, and Merrill Kelly, left, in a baseball game Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks won 3-2. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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