Braves 6, Diamondbacks 2
ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Braves smacked three home runs and got a strong pitching effort from left-hander Paul Maholm in a 6-2 win on Sunday that gave them a three-game sweep over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Freddie Freeman, Brian McCann and Dan Uggla went deep for the Braves, giving them 102 homers, in support of Maholm (9-6), who allowed two runs in 6 2/3 innings and earned his second straight win. David Carpenter struck out two in a scoreless ninth in a nonsave situation.
The Braves touched up four Arizona pitchers for 10 hits, six walks and scored six or more runs in back-to-back wins for the first time since June 2-3. Starter Trevor Cahill (3-10) allowed six runs on seven hits and three walks and three homers.
Atlanta swept the Diamondbacks for the first time since 2011. The Braves have won five of their last six and lead the N.L. East by 6 1/2 games.
The Diamondbacks struck early with a run in the first inning. A.J. Pollock and Martin Prado led off the game with sharp singles and Pollock scored when Paul Goldschmidt grounded into a double play.
The Braves tied it in the second on McCann's ninth home run of the season. McCann hit the ball to the opposite field and it banged off the top of the fence in left center and into the seats.
Atlanta added three runs in the third on a three-run homer by Freeman, his ninth home run of the year.
Andrelton Simmons led off the third with an infield hit and took second on Jason Heyward's single to right. Justin Upton then grounded to short but hustled to first to avoid an inning-ending double play and give Freeman an opportunity to hit.
Uggla gave the Braves a 6-1 lead with a two-run homer, his 14th of the season, in the fifth. It was his first homer since June 9 at Los Angeles.
The Diamondbacks cut the lead to 6-2 when Goldschmidt grounded into a double play with runners on the corners.
Arizona had a chance to trim the lead again the seventh when it loaded the bases with one out. But Maholm struck out pinch hitter Jason Kubel on a slow curve that was outside and reliever Anthony Vavaro retired Pollock on a harmless fly to right.
NOTES: The Diamondbacks continue their 10-game road trip with a four-game series against the New York Mets on Monday. The Braves take Monday off before starting a three-game homestand against Miami, an Eastern Division rival it hasn't played since April 10.
