Diamondbacks Stun Braves with Ninth-Inning Blitz
Today at Truist Park, the Arizona Diamondbacks pulled off a spectacular comeback to defeat the Atlanta Braves 11–10, completing a three-game sweep and extending their winning run to four games. The Diamondbacks, who were behind 10–4 going into the ninth inning, scored seven runs, led by Eugenio Suárez's game-winning two-run double. During the rally, Alek Thomas and Ketel Marte also provided significant hits. Austin Riley, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Drake Baldwin all hit home runs to give the Braves a sizable lead, but in the last inning, their bullpen struggled. Raisel Iglesias, who was supposed to end the game, let up several hits and lost. Atlanta's record dropped to 27–34, while Arizona's improved to 31–31.
This comeback by the Diamondbacks was honestly very shocking, to say the least. Iglesias had a lot of trouble trying to end the game for the Braves. Thomas hit a two-run homer after he gave up a leadoff walk to Tim Tawa, and then he gave up a game-ending RBI single to Marte. Suárez's two-run double to put Arizona ahead was the game-changing hit. This set of circumstances was one of the Braves' biggest late-inning collapses in recent memory.
The Braves' late-inning collapse eventually masked their powerful early offense. They scored 10 runs in eight innings with home runs from rookie Baldwin, Riley, and Acuña Jr. It was Riley's bat that helped extend the lead, and Acuña Jr. kept getting hotter. Baldwin continues to show promise in little action, and his home run was particularly noteworthy. Before the bullpen allowed seven runs in the ninth inning, Atlanta seemed to have the game under control with 13 hits overall. The Braves' offensive effort felt pointless despite their offensive explosion because they were unable to finish the game.
The Braves will try to bounce back from today's difficult defeat as they start a six-game road trip to the West Coast. The first pitch of their upcoming series against the San Francisco Giants is set for 10:15 p.m. EST tomorrow at Oracle Park. This game is the first in a three-game weekend series. On Monday, June 9th, the team will play the Milwaukee Brewers in a three-game series. After a difficult homestand, the Braves hope to recuperate and get back on track on the road.
