Three Takeaways From Frustrating D-backs Series Loss vs Braves

The Arizona Diamondbacks have lost three straight series, two of which have been to tough opponents. It's hard to truly evaluate a team's future only 28 games into a major league season, especially when Arizona has been bitten by the injury bug of late.

But the D-backs have displayed some concerning trends over the past three games, although there has been cause for some celebration in the process.

Arizona is now 15-13, and had lost four straight before salvaging the finale of a three-game set with the Atlanta Braves. Here are three takeaways from the win and another frustrating pair of losses:

1: National League Contention?

The Diamondbacks faced a Braves club that, despite their losing record, is almost guaranteed to be in the mix for the National League playoff bracket come season's end. Executing against teams of this caliber are of vital importance, especially early on, as tiebreakers have bitten the D-backs badly as recently as 2024.

Arizona will face Atlanta again in June, but the stakes will be much higher then. They'll need to win the series to stay even, and sweep to own the season series.

The Braves are a tough out - the criticism is not in the losses themselves. Rather, it's the general idea that the D-backs have not been able to handle these tough playoff-worthy teams, as they also struggled to execute and lock down wins against the Chicago Cubs twice this season.

And it only gets harder from here, as the D-backs will face the Mets (twice), Phillies, Dodgers (twice) and Giants in the coming weeks — the most difficult stretch of the season, but also potentially one of the most important with regard to playoff implications.

2: Mid-Order Surge

The D-backs' offense was anything but consistent in this series, scoring 15 runs over three games. But they scored just two in game one, and it took a historic four home runs in one game from Eugenio Suárez to plate seven in game two.

And with that comes the main point of this takeaway. Suárez, who had an OPS of just .658 entering this series, is now riding a five-game hit streak, and also walked three times against just one strikeout in three games against the Braves.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who had been similarly scuffling, had two base hits including a double, and only struck out once.

And those performances were needed, as the D-backs' top of the order (batters one through four) accounted for zero runs in Game 1, and were completely hitless in Game 2. Game 3 saw six (including two Corbin Carroll triples), but the point stands — Arizona's top-order hitters are struggling.

If Suárez, Gurriel and others in that mid-low region of the lineup (such as Gabriel Moreno or Alek Thomas) can get hot, Arizona's offense will be much less one-dimensional. But they are all quite streaky, and can occasionally become a black hole in the lineup.

Suárez's resurgence in 2024 saw him help drive the D-backs' MLB-leading offense, but Arizona will need him to keep that streak going for some time, or see more fireworks from the top of the order to continue pouring runs on their opponents in 2025.

3: Late Inning Magic

The Diamondbacks have been devoid of two of their calling cards — late inning offensive surges and high-leverage pitching. It wasn't long ago that this club engineered five runs in the ninth inning to walk off the Brewers, or 10 runs in the eighth inning to delete a 7-1 deficit in Chicago.

But that magic appears to be dying off. Of course, star second baseman Ketel Marte is working his way back, and will likely return during Arizona's upcoming road trip (though there is no confirmed date).

Outside of Suárez's game-tying homer in the ninth, the D-backs failed to get a run across when they needed it most in Game 2, and their pitching let them down in the seventh, eighth and 10th innings of that game. They had led 6-2 prior to the seventh inning.

In game three, the offense got what felt like its first clutch hit in some time, as Josh Naylor ripped a two-run knock to extend the lead. It ended up being the difference, as Atlanta got a run across against closer Justin Martinez in the ninth.

Sure, much of the pitching issues can be attributed to injury, but there's a distinct lack of late-inning fight in this team — a team that has levied much of its identity on just such a thrilling manner of winning games.

Sometimes, all it takes is a win (or two), and there's plenty of time for that spark to come back. But for now, Arizona's hitters and relief corp are difficult to trust once those scores start to get tighter in the later innings.

Three Takeaways From Frustrating D-backs Series Loss vs Braves

1: National League Contention?

2: Mid-Order Surge

3: Late Inning Magic

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