Merrill Kelly pitched seven strong innings and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Atlanta Braves 3-2 for their season-high sixth straight win on Friday in the opener of a three-game series between two division leaders in Phoenix.
Kelly (7-3) allowed two runs on five hits — two of them home runs by Eddie Rosario — while walking three and striking out eight. He has won his past six decisions and beat the Braves for the first time in four career starts against them.
Austin Adams faced the top of the Atlanta order in the eighth and pitched a scoreless frame that included two strikeouts.
Miguel Castro pitched the ninth and escaped trouble to earn his sixth save. Castro allowed runners on the corners before retiring Ozzie Albies and Orlando Arcia to end the game.
The losing pitcher was Charlie Morton (5-6), who worked seven innings and gave up three runs on six hits and two walks with nine strikeouts. He has fanned nine-plus batters four times this year, reaching that figure in three of his past four outings.
Arizona’s Ketel Marte went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and saw his 11-game hitting streak and his 30-game on-base streak both come to an end.
The Diamondbacks scored two runs in the first inning on a double by Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
The Braves cut the deficit to 2-1 in the second inning on Rosario’s solo homer, which landed in the pool beyond the fence in right-center.
A baserunning error cost the Braves a possible run in the third. Matt Olson drew a two-out walk and Austin Riley doubled to left. However, Olson was late to stop while rounding third and was cut down trying to get back to the bag.
Arizona scored with two outs in the third on a walk to Corbin Carroll and an RBI double by Christian Walker.
Rosario ripped his seventh homer in the seventh inning, this one to left field. It was his 11th career multi-homer game and the first since Aug. 11, 2020, for the Minnesota Twins at Milwaukee.
–Field Level Media
