Walker's 9th-inning homer lifts Diamondbacks past Braves
Christian Walker had three hits, including the go-ahead homer in the ninth inning, to help the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Atlanta Braves 9-6 on Tuesday.
Walker, playing first base while Jake Lamb is out with a strained left calf, led off the ninth with a long, majestic homer, his fifth. It came against Atlanta reliever A.J. Minter (0-2) and put Arizona ahead to stay. Walker was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. He is 6-for-8 over the last two games and lifted his batting average to .294.
Adam Jones followed by doubling in two insurance runs against Jacob Webb, who was making his major league debut for the Braves.
The winning pitcher was Yoshihisa Hirano (1-1), who worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Greg Holland got the save, his third.
Neither starter figured in the decision. Atlanta's Max Fried pitched six innings and allowed two runs -- his first two earned runs allowed this season -- on seven hits and one walk. He struck out three. Arizona's Robbie Ray pitched six innings and allowed five runs on seven hits and four walks. He struck out four.
The Diamondbacks scored two runs in the fourth inning, a four-hit rally that started with two outs and no one on base. Nick Ahmed had an RBI single and Carson Kelly delivered an RBI double, his fourth.
The Braves answered with a run in the bottom of the inning when Ronald Acuna Jr. hit a solo homer, his sixth, to right-center field.
The Braves took a 5-2 lead with a four-run outburst in the fifth. Freddie Freeman doubled in a run and Johan Camargo delivered a bases-loaded double to drive in three more.
Arizona took advantage of the Atlanta bullpen to strike for four runs in the seventh inning. Chad Sobotka loaded the bases with two hit batsmen and a walk. Eduardo Escobar drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single off Jesse Biddle. Walker singled in a run off Luke Jackson and Wilmer Flores grounded out to plate another.
The Braves tied it at 6-6 when Ozzie Albies hit a solo home run, his second, off Lopez.
The three-game series continues on Wednesday night. Arizona will start right-hander Zack Godley (1-1, 7.41) against Atlanta right-hander Kevin Gausman (1-1, 2.84).
--Field Level Media
