Diamondbacks Lose to Braves Again After Colossal Meltdown by the Bullpen

A six-run lead wasn't enough for the Diamondbacks against the Braves tonight.

Apr 6, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) celebrates after hitting a game-tying single in the 8th inning. / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The game could not have started any better for the Diamondbacks. They ambushed Braves starter Max Fried for six runs in the 1st inning and scored eight runs on the left-hander, tied for the most he has given up in his career. Despite that, their lead slowly evaporated as Atlanta came back to beat the D-backs 9-8.

"We got to make pitches, we got to finish innings, we got to go out there to play our type of baseball," said manager Torey Lovullo. "There's a few things that we know we can do better, and we will, we're going to figure this out."

Despite pushing Fried for 37 pitches in the first, the D-backs failed to tack on until the 5th. With two runners on base, Gabriel Moreno tapped back to the mound. The ball was fielded by Fried, who threw to second, but Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies could not handle the throw for an error. The D-backs capitalized with two runs in the inning to take an 8-2 lead.

From that point forward, the lead began to slowly evaporate to a parade of hits from the Braves lineup. Pfaadt was one out away from putting up a zero in the 5th, but left a sweeper over the inner third of the plate to Marcell Ozuna for a three-run home run. Pfaadt finished with five runs allowed in 5 2/3 innings, with seven strikeouts and a career-high 20 swings and misses.

A short-handed bullpen, which likely did not have the services of Kevin Ginkel and Ryan Thompson, could not get the job done. Bryce Jarvis struggled in the 7th, as the Braves scored two more runs off the rookie to cut the D-backs lead to just one. Luis Frias was tasked with pitching the 8th inning and it was an immediate disaster. Jarred Kelenic doubled off the right field wall and Ronald Acuna Jr. singled him home to tie the game. Two batters later, Austin Riley ripped a line drive past a drawn-in infield to score the winning run.

"It's tough, it's very tough, we knew that coming in here," said Lovullo. "One through nine, there's no letup. There's no easy out in this lineup. This is a very good lineup, it's a tough environment to play in. With all that being said, I still think we should have come in here and won the first two games."

Ketel Marte continued his strong run at the plate, hitting a 461-foot home run to left center for his second straight leadoff home run. After the D-backs batted around in the inning, he capped off the scoring with a two-run double. Marte is batting .368 with a 1.093 OPS in nine games this season.

Despite two heart-breaking losses, there isn't much time for the team to dwell upon that. They'll look to salvage the finale of this series. Right-hander Ryne Nelson will square off against left-hander Chris Sale, with first pitch at Truist Park scheduled for 1:35pm local time, 10:35am Arizona time.