This story was originally published by Dead Spin
Sean Murphy hit a game-tying two-run homer in the ninth inning and Marcell Ozuna lined a tiebreaking sacrifice fly to center in the 11th 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 winning in the ninth when Murphy hit a 431-foot blast to right-center off Paul Sewald. It was Murphy’s fifth homer of the season and also represented Sewald’s third straight blown save.
Austin Riley also homered for the Braves, who won their third straight game.
Corbin Carroll had the lone run-scoring hit for the Diamondbacks, who had just four hits. Arizona missed a chance to move above .500 for the first time since April 3.
Riley started the 11th inning as the runner on second and advanced to third on an infield single by Matt Olson. Ozuna followed with his lineout off Justin Martinez (3-1) that scored Riley.
Raisel Iglesias (1-1) pitched two hitless innings of relief for Atlanta, giving up one unearned run. Joe Jimenez worked out of a jam in the bottom of the 11th for his second save of the year.
Runners were at first and second with one out when Jimenez struck out Christian Walker and retired Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on a lineout to the warning track in left.
Both teams scored a run in the 10th inning on sacrifice flies. Ozzie Albies drove in Zack Short for the Braves, and Geraldo Perdomo knocked in Jake McCarthy for Arizona.
Arizona starter Yilber Diaz pitched six solid innings in his big-league debut. He gave up 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 scratched four-plus hours before first pitch. Elder, recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett, gave up three runs and four hits. He walked two and struck out one.
Riley welcomed Diaz to the majors with two outs in the first inning, smacking a solo shot over the wall in center. The 430-foot blast was Riley’s 12th homer of the season.
In the sixth, Perdomo led off with a bloop single over Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia, who then knocked the ball into left field, allowing Perdomo to take second. Carroll followed with a line-drive RBI single to tie the score.
Elder then walked Ketel Marte and Joc Pederson to load the bases. Grant Holmes entered in relief and walked Walker to give the Diamondbacks a 2-1 lead.
Gurriel then hit a sacrifice fly to center to give Arizona a two-run advantage.
–Field Level Media
