Braves peak late in game, crush D-backs for 11th place

Sean Murphy hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning and Marcell Ozuna hit a game-tying sacrifice fly to center field in the 11th inning as the Atlanta Braves rallied for a 5-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night in Phoenix.

Arizona was two strikes away from victory in the ninth inning when Murphy hit a 431-foot home run to right-center field off Paul Sewald. It was Murphy’s fifth home run of the season and also Sewald’s third straight blown save.

Austin Riley also hit a home run for the Braves, who won their third straight game.

Corbin Carroll was the only batter to drive in a run for the Diamondbacks, who had only four. Arizona missed a chance to move above .500 for the first time since April 3.

Riley led off the 11th inning as a runner on second base and advanced to third on an infield single by Matt Olson. Ozuna followed with a hit against Justin Martinez (3-1) that allowed Riley to score.

Raisel Iglesias (1-1) pitched two hitless innings in relief for Atlanta, allowing one unearned run. Joe Jimenez got out of a tight situation in the bottom of the 11th inning for his second save of the year.

Runners were on first and second with one out when Jimenez struck out Christian Walker and retired Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on a hit to the warning track in left.

Both teams scored a run in the 10th inning on sacrifices. Ozzie Albies scored Zack Short for the Braves, and Geraldo Perdomo scored Jake McCarthy for Arizona.

Arizona starting pitcher Yilber Diaz pitched six solid innings in his major league debut. He allowed one run, four hits, one walk and struck out five.

Atlanta’s Bryce Elder pitched five-plus innings for the Braves after Chris Sale was pulled more than four hours before first pitch. Elder, recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett, allowed three runs and four hits. He gave up two walks and struck out one.

Riley welcomed Diaz to the major leagues with two outs in the first inning, hitting a solo shot over the wall in center field. The 430-foot shot was Riley’s 12th home run of the season.

In the sixth inning, Perdomo led off with a single off Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia, who then drove the ball into left field, allowing Perdomo to take second base. Carroll followed with an RBI single on a line drive to tie the score.

Elder then walked Ketel Marte and Joc Pederson to load the bases. Grant Holmes came on in relief and walked Walker to give the Diamondbacks a 2-1 lead.

Gurriel then hit a sacrifice fly to center field to give Arizona a two-run advantage.

–Field level media