PHOENIX (AP) — Brandon Pfaadt outpitched Max Fried in six strong innings, Jake McCarthy made a leaping grab at the wall in the ninth inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Atlanta Braves 1-0 on Thursday night.
Pfaadt (4-6) was sharp for the fourth straight start, scattering three hits while striking out four to win after three consecutive no-decisions.
Fried (7-5) allowed a run on five hits in six innings with seven strikeouts and three walks. The lone run off the right-hander came in the fifth inning by Eugenio Suarez, a 437-foot shot after he hit a 452-foot homer in Arizona's 7-5 win the night before.
It was the first time Arizona won 1-0 at home on a solo homer since Sept. 19, 2011, when Justin Upton did it against Pittsburgh.
“That's a D-back-type of win,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “That’s what we believe in and what we talk about. And when we go out there and do it, it’s just it’s very powerful.”
Paul Sewald worked around a two-out single in the ninth for his 13th save — second straight since a streak of three blown saves. He got a big lift from McCarthy, who snagged Matt Olson's one-out drive to the wall in left. McCarthy also ranged deep in the hole in left-center for a catch at the warning track in the eighth inning, right after first baseman Christian Walker snared Eddie Rosario's liner.
“We've been hitting the ball well,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “That's just the way it goes sometimes.”
Fried and Pfaadt struggled in an April 6 meeting in Atlanta, won by the Braves 9-8 after a late rally.
Fried allowed eight runs — seven earned — on 10 hits in 4 1/2 innings. Pfaadt was only marginally better, giving up five runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings,
Both pitchers were sharp in the rematch.
Pfaadt threw the two fastest pitches of his career in the first inning (96.8 and 96.2 mph) and was perfect until Austin Riley lined a two-out single in the fourth. Pfaadt erased a single in the fifth inning with a groundout and ended the sixth by inducing a double play.
Pfaadt struck out four and walked none.
“The fastball velo has been good,” Pfaadt said. “I think that helps with the off-speed, mixing in the sinker and the four-seam (fastball) working very well.”
Fried allowed two singles in the first inning and one other hit until Suarez launched a solo homer to the center-field overhang seats in the fifth. Fried struck out Randal Grichuk with the bases loaded to end the inning.
“He kept us right there in the ballgame,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “We just couldn't solve the other guy.”
TRAINER'S TABLE
The Diamondbacks reinstated RHP Miguel Castro (shoulder inflammation) from the 15-day injured list and optioned RHP Slade Cecconi to Triple-A Reno.
UP NEXT
Braves: RHP Spencer Schwellenbach (2-4, 5.02 ERA) pitches the opener of a three-games series at San Diego on Friday.
Diamondbacks: RHP Ryne Nelson (6-6, 5.08) opens a three-game interleague series against Toronto at home Friday.
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