Matt Olson, Dominic Smith and Mauricio Dubon all hit solo homers and the Atlanta Braves hit four overall while cruising to a 17-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night in Phoenix.
None of the homers came in the eight-run, fifth inning that allowed Atlanta to turn its first road game into a blowout.
Jorge Mateo ripped a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the ninth while Olson and Mike Yastrzemski added RBI doubles in a five-run ninth when Arizona catcher James McCann was finishing out the contest on the mound.
Olson had three hits and three RBIs and Yastrzemski, Austin Riley and Michael Harris II had two apiece as the Braves won for the fifth time in seven games this season.
Jordan Lawlar smacked his first career homer for Arizona, which had a three-game winning streak snapped. Ildemaro Vargas had an RBI double in the ninth.
Reynaldo Lopez (1-0) gave up one run and four hits over five innings for Atlanta. He struck out three and walked one.
Ryne Nelson (0-1) allowed seven runs (two earned) and three hits over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out three and walked three.
The Braves had just four hits in the decisive fifth inning when they were helped by four Arizona walks and a costly error by Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado.
The big inning started with Ozzie Albies correctly challenging a called strike three and heading to first with a walk. One out later, Smith walked and Dubon followed with a sharply hit ball to third that Arenado booted to load the bases.
Ronald Acuna Jr. walked to force in Albies and give the Braves a 3-1 lead. Drake Baldwin’s fielder’s choice plated another run and Olson followed with a double to right to make it 5-1 and finish Nelson’s night.
Kevin Ginkel entered and was greeted by Riley’s two-run double inside the third-base line. Yastrzemski walked and Albies blooped a single into shallow left to push the lead to seven.
Harris then lined a laser the opposite way that hit high up the left-field wall. That two-run double made it 10-1.
Dubon led off the top of the sixth with a homer to left center off Joe Ross. Yastrzemski’s RBI groundout later in the inning made it 12-1.
Olson homered to center with two out in the first off Nelson and Smith led off the third with a blast to right center to make it 2-0.
Arizona got on the board when Lawler led off the bottom of the third with a homer to left center off Lopez.
–Field Level Media
