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Patrick Corbin limited the Braves to only one run through six innings. Paul Goldschmidt got the offense rolling with a opposite field home run in the first inning. Archie Bradley had a rocky outing in the eighth, but the Brad Ziegler, Andrew Chafin, and Brad Boxberger stomped out the Atlanta rally and brought home a victory for Arizona, which led to Arizona gaining ground in the race for the NL West.
Win Improves Diamondbacks’ Standing in NL West
In the tight race for the NL West, every win (or loss) counts. Last night’s win by Arizona helped them in their quest to claim the NL West crown.
Archie Bradley’s late-season struggles continued on Friday night. The power righty, allowed two runs on four hits in the eighth inning, managing to only secure one out in the process.
With tensions already running high in September, the hot-headed nature of Arizona’s outfielder led to a late-game ejection on Thursday night when he expressed displeasure with a pair of questionable calls by home plate umpire Mark Ripperger. The ejection cost Souza his opportunity to come up big for the Diamondbacks in the ninth inning.
Lovullo to Rely on Best Matchups for Bullpen
Brad Boxberger is still Arizona’s closer, but matchups, as much as anything else, are now a major deciding factor in how Torey Lovullo chooses to deploy his bullpen.
For the third time in just the last week or so, a Diamondback player bley through Tony Perezchica’s stop sign at third base in an attempt to score. The first time, Nick Ahmed was thrown out by Brandon Crawford on a close play at the plate. The second time, Eduardo Escobar successfully tested the chance to score against the Padres. Then, Steven Souza Jr successfully pushed his luck on Thursday night. The trend is not one Lovullo appreciates.
How Ronald Acuna was Almost a Diamondback
The Diamondbacks had a deal in place with Ronald Acuna four years ago for $80,000. League rules stipulate that an international player must sign their contract in their home country. This rule gave the Atlanta Braves the opportunity to offer Acuna the $100,000 he ultimately signed for.
The Diamondbacks gained ground on Friday night, but are still in third, behind the Dodgers and 1.5 games out of the division lead.