The Atlanta Braves continues to build on their strong recent homestead, buoyed by left-hander Chris Sale’s first victory of the season Friday.
Arizona, meanwhile, has fallen into its first dry spell of the season. The Diamondbacks have lost three in a row and five of their last seven heading into the second contest of the three-game series on Saturday.
Atlanta received contributions up and down the lineup in its 8-2 victory Friday, when Eli White and Austin Riley had two hits and two RBIs apiece to help Sale notch the elusive win.
“Just happy that Chris broke the egg,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “It will be good from his psyche to get his first win. I’m happy for him to get that behind him.
“We’re kind of doing offensively what we expected to do when we left spring training.”
Arizona’s Merrill Kelly (3-1, 4.73 ERA) will oppose Atlanta’s Grant Holmes (2-1, 3.22) on Saturday in a battle of right-handers.
Eight Atlanta starters either got a hit or scored a run Friday, and Sale pitched out of a bases-loaded situation with one out in the first inning to provide momentum.
Arizona made another roster move Friday to address its depleted bullpen, recalling right-hander Yilber Diaz from Triple-A Reno. Diaz was put right to use, giving up three runs in the final three innings while letting others have a day off.
Closer Justin Martinez has pitched only once since April 18 while dealing with right shoulder soreness, and he was unavailable for the ninth in a 7-4, 10-inning loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday. Left-hander Jalen Beeks was forced to leave that game in the seventh with a left forearm contusion after being struck by Chandler Simpson’s hard one-hopper.
“We’re in a spot right now where there are some moving pieces,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “The puzzle is changing a little bit.”
Kelly has given eight hits and four earned runs in his last three starts, and the last was cut short when suffered a cramp in his right leg in the sixth inning of an eventual 3-2, 11-inning victory at the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.
Kelly had retired 16 straight batters after giving up a run on two hits and a walk with one out in the first inning before feeling discomfort on a 1-0 pitch to Seiya Suzuki. He has dealt with cramping for several seasons and works year-round with a nutritionist in an attempt to control it.
“We’re going to remain hopeful that it doesn’t happen again,” Lovullo said.
Kelly is 1-2 with a 3.67 ERA in four career starts against Atlanta, with quality starts in three outings. He did not face them last season. Austin Riley is 4-for-9 with two doubles and a homer off Kelly.
Holmes has beaten Toronto and Minnesota in his last two starts, when he gave up only six hits and four runs in 13 1/3 innings.
Holmes, a 2014 first-round draft pick who made his major league debut 10 years later, made two relief appearances against Arizona last season. He gave up one hit in 4 1/3 scoreless innings.
–Field Level Media
