D-backs' Big 9th-Inning Comeback Completes Sweep of Braves

The Arizona Diamondbacks scored seven runs in the top of the ninth to steal an 11-10 win over the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. The win not only completes a sweep of the Braves but is their fourth straight to start the month of June.

"It means this is how we are," Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez told DbacksTV reporter Jody Jackson after the game. "We are the D-backs. We're never going to give up, we played good baseball here in Atlanta. That's a great comeback by us. That was a team effort, and the offense we did a really good job."

Trailing 10-4 entering the ninth, they sent 12 batters to the plate. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Alek Thomas got the scoring started in the inning with a couple of home runs to cut the deficit to three. A walk and a double brought up the tying run to the plate. Singles by Ketel Marte and Ildemaro Vargas brought Arizona within one swing of turning this game completely upside down.

"It was really special," said Thomas. "Just seeing the guys pass it to one another and continue to have great at bats, hit it where they're not, and guys score. It was really exciting to watch from the dugout and also contribute to that too."

That one swing came off Suárez's bat. Down to his final strike against Braves closer Raisel Iglesias, he ripped a go-ahead, two-run double into the left field corner to give the Diamondbacks their first and only lead of the day.

"I knew I had an idea of how Iglesias was going to pitch me, I knew I was going to be a tough at-bat against him," said Suárez. "I knew it because he got me on a swing and a miss on a changeup down, almost in the ground. I just tried to put it in play, I knew if I got a big hit, at least we had a tie game. I don't try to do too much, just got that double down the line."

Armed with the lead, Shelby Miller came in to close with Justin Martinez unavailable. Despite a one-out walk, Miller got a couple good plays from his defense to secure his sixth save. Thomas made a sliding catch on a sinking liner to retire Austin Riley and Geraldo Perdomo started a game-ending double play.

Thursday's win marked the first time in Diamondbacks history that they came back from down six runs in the ninth, losing their first 419 games. The previous record was five runs, accomplished on July 3, 2008.

Right-hander Brandon Pfaadt got off to a strong start, retiring the first five hitters and jumping ahead of Ozzie Albies 0-2. However, he failed to finish off Albies despite holding the count advantage and walked him. Alex Verdugo cashed in with a double and set the tone for the rest of the game. Pfaadt retired only four of the final 12 hitters he faced.

Most of the damage came in the third inning. After a one-out walk to Ronald Acuña Jr., Marte was unable to come up with a ground ball hit up the middle by Drake Baldwin. Instead of a potential inning-ending double play, it turned into a disaster. The next four Braves collected hits, including three straight doubles, scoring five runs to blow the game open.

Trailing 6-0, the Diamondbacks were able to chase Braves starter Grant Holmes from the game in the fourth. Following back-to-back walks, Arizona strung together three consecutive knocks to cut the deficit in half.

Once they got themselves back in the game, they couldn't capitalize on a pair of golden opportunities to tie the game. In the fourth and fifth innings, they had five at-bats with the potential tying run at the plate. They struck out twice and hit three weakly-hit balls.

Tommy Henry came in relief of Pfaadt in the fourth inning. While he escaped a fourth-inning jam, the long ball came to bite him. Henry surrendered three solo home runs in the fifth and sixth innings, undoing the offensive momentum the team had built up to that point.

Despite giving up those runs, he provided four innings of long relief, saving the bullpen for the next series.

Josh Naylor, who was the designated hitter, was pulled in the sixth inning. Naylor has been battling shoulder and hand issues of late, per The Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro. Vargas came off the bench as a pinch-hitter, setting up his ninth-inning heroics.

With a lot of momentum behind them, the Diamondbacks will be on to Cincinnati with the chance to separate from another disappointing National League squad.

Eduardo Rodríguez is expected to come off the injured list to start Friday, with the Reds countering with left-hander Nick Lodolo. First pitch at Great American Ballpark will be at 4:10 p.m. MST, with the game being broadcast on AppleTV+.