Braves at Diamondbacks
Aside from some unexpected pop from their starting pitcher, the Arizona Diamondbacks were not able to muster much with the bats in a loss to the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday. The Diamondbacks hope to turn things around and take advantage of a fill-in starter when they face the visiting Braves in the rubber game of a three-game set Wednesday afternoon.
Taijuan Walker had two of Arizona's eight hits - including a long solo homer - in the club's 8-3 loss to the Braves on Tuesday, the 12th setback in 17 games for the National League wild card-leading Diamondbacks. In the finale, Arizona will take aim at right-hander Aaron Blair, who struggled mightily in 2016 with Atlanta and was not much better in the minors this season. The Braves received a pair of homers from Kurt Suzuki on Tuesday and are 4-1 against the Diamondbacks and 15-8 against the NL West. Patrick Corbin, who has dominated Atlanta in his career but gave up two runs in five innings in a matchup earlier this month, toes the rubber for Arizona in the series finale.
TV: 3:40 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Atlanta), FSN Arizona
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Aaron Blair (2016: 2-7, 7.59 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks LH Patrick Corbin (7-9, 4.43)
Blair will get the first crack at seizing the rotation spot of Jaime Garcia, who was traded to Minnesota, but the leash may not be long after a rocky 2016 with Atlanta and some issues this year with Triple-A Gwinnett. He was 6-5 with a 4.97 ERA in 18 starts for the Braves' top minor-league affiliate, allowing 89 hits and 40 walks in 87 innings. The 25-year-old faced Arizona in his third career start last season and suffered the loss after giving up three runs (two earned) in five frames.
Corbin posted 28 consecutive scoreless innings in his career against the Braves before giving up a solo homer to Brandon Phillips in the third inning and an RBI double to Phillips two innings later on July 15. He took a no-decision in that one but followed it up with 7 1/3 dominant innings in a win at Cincinnati on Thursday, allowing one run and fanning six. The 28-year-old, who is 5-3 with a 3.15 ERA at home, has dominated Braves star Freddie Freeman (0-for-10, six strikeouts).
WALK-OFFS
1. Freeman was 1-for-3 on Tuesday and is batting .379 with 24 RBIs in 21 career games at Arizona.
2. Diamondbacks RF David Peralta is 3-for-18 over his last four games since the end of a 10-game hitting streak in which he batted .421.
3. The Braves are 27-0 when they score at least six runs, the best mark in the majors in that category.