The Atlanta Braves used a sudden power burst in the ninth inning to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-0 on Friday night in Phoenix. Ozzie Albies and Matt Olson hit back-to-back home runs off reliever Paul Sewald to snap a scoreless game and extend Atlanta’s early-season momentum.
Grant Holmes delivered a strong start for Atlanta, allowing just one hit over six innings while matching zeros with Arizona starter Eduardo Rodríguez for most of the night. The Braves improved to 6-2, while the Diamondbacks fell to 3-5 and continued a brief scoring slump that has produced only three runs over their last three games.
Late power changes the game
Atlanta’s offense was quiet until the final inning, when Albies jumped on an 0-1 pitch and drove it over the right-field fence for his second homer of the season. Olson followed on Sewald’s next pitch with a drive to left, giving the Braves all the runs they needed in a game that had been defined by pitching.
The sequence underscored Atlanta’s ability to win tight games even when hits are limited. Albies finished with three of the Braves’ six hits, making him a central figure in the late rally and the club’s most productive hitter on the night.
Holmes and Rodríguez trade early control
Both starting pitchers worked efficiently through the early innings, and neither lineup found much room to operate. Holmes did not allow a hit until Ketel Marte lined a single to left with one out in the sixth, and he finished with three walks and four strikeouts.
Rodríguez was nearly as sharp for Arizona, holding Atlanta to four hits over seven innings while walking one and striking out three. It marked the first time he opened a season with consecutive scoreless starts, a sign that his command and swing-and-miss stuff have returned early.
Bullpen work seals the shutout
Atlanta’s bullpen kept the game scoreless before the ninth-inning breakthrough. Robert Suarez worked a perfect eighth, and Raisel Iglesias closed the door with a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save of the season.
Arizona never found a sustained answer against Atlanta’s pitching staff, and the loss added to its recent offensive struggles. The Diamondbacks had only one hit through the first six innings and could not capitalize late, even with a strong outing from Rodríguez.
Key numbers from the game
- Braves hits: 6
- Albies hits: 3
- Holmes innings pitched: 6
- Rodríguez innings pitched: 7
- Diamondbacks runs in last three games: 3
The teams continue their four-game series Saturday, with Braves right-hander Bryce Elder set to face Michael Soroka in the third game. Atlanta will try to carry its late-inning momentum into another pitcher-friendly matchup, while Arizona will look for a more productive night at the plate after another shutout loss.
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