The Atlanta Braves pulled off a thrilling comeback victory against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night in Phoenix, thanks to some late-game heroics from Sean Murphy and Marcell Ozuna.
Down 4-2 in the ninth inning, the Braves were on the brink of defeat when Murphy stepped up to the plate and crushed a game-tying two-run homer off Diamondbacks pitcher Paul Sewald. It was Murphy’s fifth home run of the season and Sewald’s third consecutive blown save.
The game remained deadlocked until the 11th inning when Austin Riley, who also homered earlier in the game, started the inning as the runner on second base. Matt Olson then reached on an infield single, setting the stage for Ozuna to deliver a tiebreaking sacrifice fly to center field off Justin Martinez, scoring Riley and giving the Braves a 5-4 lead.
On the pitching side, Raisel Iglesias came up big for the Braves, tossing two hitless innings of relief and allowing just one unearned run. Joe Jimenez closed out the game in the bottom of the 11th, stranding runners at first and second to earn his second save of the year.
The Diamondbacks had their chances to put the game away, as they held a 4-2 lead in the ninth inning and had multiple opportunities to score in extra innings. However, they were unable to capitalize on their chances and ultimately fell short against the resilient Braves.
Both teams managed to score a run in the 10th inning on sacrifice flies, with Ozzie Albies driving in a run for the Braves and Geraldo Perdomo doing the same for the Diamondbacks. Arizona starter Yilber Diaz impressed in his big-league debut, pitching six solid innings and giving up just one run on four hits.
The win marked the Braves’ third straight victory as they continue to climb up the standings. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks missed a golden opportunity to move above .500 for the first time in months.
Overall, it was a thrilling and dramatic game that showcased the resilience and determination of the Braves as they came from behind to secure a hard-fought win on the road. With the win, the Braves will look to build on their momentum and continue their winning ways as the season progresses.
