The visiting Arizona Diamondbacks will see if their pitching can continue to slow the Atlanta Braves’ bats on Saturday when the teams meet in the second contest of their three-game series.
Arizona recorded a 2-0 victory over Atlanta on Friday in the series opener.
It was the seventh shutout of the season for the Diamondbacks, who improved to 35-18 when their starter goes at least six innings and 45-14 when holding the opposition to three or fewer runs. Arizona remains tied with Philadelphia for the third wild-card spot in the National League.
Atlanta managed only three hits in Friday’s loss and dropped to 13-31 when scoring three or fewer runs and 13-24 when failing to hit a home run. The Braves hold an 8 1/2-game lead over the Phillies in the NL East.
Arizona enjoys a 3-2 season series lead over Atlanta.
The pitching matchup Saturday features Atlanta right-hander Grant Holmes (7-4, 3.47 ERA) against Arizona left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (11-4, 2.70).
Rodriguez came back from a rare poor outing to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers in his last appearance on Sunday. In seven innings, he allowed two runs on five hits and struck out a season-high nine batters. It came five days after being battered for seven runs and 11 hits by the San Diego Padres.
“What can you say about E-Rod?” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “It was just real good stuff. It looked like he kept emptying his tank late in the outing. I saw his velo climb in that last inning to 93. That’s a willingness to go out there and get the job done and grind it out for his boys and make a sacrifice for this group.”
Rodriguez faced the Braves on April 3 and did not receive a decision despite throwing seven scoreless innings. In three career starts against the Braves, he is 1-0 with a 3.24 ERA.
Each start for Holmes seems to be a referendum on whether he should stay in the starting rotation. But over the last two outings he has produced a pair of six-inning scoreless appearances.
“I’ve been working on a lot of things,” Holmes said. “I guess I turned the volume, the intensity down a little bit. For the most part I just stayed loose, just trying to whip it in there.”
Holmes had one of his strongest career performances against the Diamondbacks on April 3 when he limited them to one hit over six scoreless innings. In five career games (three starts) against Arizona, Holmes 0-0 with a 4.19 ERA.
Arizona shortstop Geraldo Perdomo was 4-for-5 on Friday and has hit safely in seven of his last eight road games, batting .389 (14-for-36) during that span. He has reached base safely in 12 of his last 13 games.
The Diamondbacks may be without second baseman Ketel Marte, who left Friday’s game in the second inning with left knee soreness after lining out in his only plate appearance. He is hitting .435 (7-for-16) over the last five games. Arizona shifted Ildemaro Vargas over from first base to cover for Marte.
–Field Level Media
