Watch: Braves walk-off Diamondbacks in wild ending
If there's one thing other MLB teams have learned from watching the Atlanta Braves over the past few years, it's that you never put dirt on them until the final strike is in the catcher's mitt.
In a game where the Braves fell behind before most fans even took their seats inside Truist Park, the offense came alive in the ninth and 10th innings, scoring three runs over the final two frames to walk off the defending National League champion Arizona Diamondbacks in the first home game of the season.
The Braves offense was kept in check for most of the evening, scuffling across just three runs in the first eight innings. After an error by Diamondbacks second baseman Blaze Alexander got Austin Riley on base to start the ninth, Matt Olson drilled a double to left-center to make it a one-run game.
With one out and Olson standing on third, former Mariner Jarred Kelenic, who impressed last weekend in Philadelphia, got one of the weirdest RBIs of his career to tie the game, advancing to second base in the process.
Although Atlanta couldn't scratch Kelenic across to win in regulation, it held Arizona scoreless in its half of the 10th, with bullpen arm Pierce Johnson striking out two Arizona batters and getting the third to ground into the final out of the inning. With the extra-innings rule in place, all Atlanta needed to do was advance Forrest Wall home from second. Travis d'Arnaud saw that it got done as soon as possible.
d'Arnaud's walk-off hit makes it the second straight season that the Braves have had a walk-off hit in their home opener, with Orlando Arcia knocking home the winning run in last year's home opener against the San Diego Padres. The Braves move to 4-2 with the win, while Arizona falls to an even 4-4. The two NL heavyweights will meet again on Saturday night, with first pitch coming at 7:20 p.m. ET.
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