JUST-IN: Merrill Kelly Silences Braves Bats as Atlanta Wastes Chris Sale Gem in Crushing 2-1 Loss

Merrill Kelly Stifles Braves’ Bats as Diamondbacks Edge Atlanta, 2-1

Merrill Kelly proved too tough a puzzle for Atlanta’s offense, tossing seven scoreless innings and overshadowing a solid outing from Chris Sale in a tight 2-1 loss for the Braves. Despite some late-inning opportunities, Atlanta failed to deliver a timely hit and dropped another frustrating game to Arizona.

Sale didn’t start off sharply, issuing two walks in the first inning as the D-backs worked counts patiently. He managed to escape that jam unscathed, but a third-inning walk to Geraldo Perdomo would come back to haunt him. After Perdomo moved to second on a groundout, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. broke the scoreless tie with a soft single into shallow right-center, bringing in the game’s first run. That run would be the only blemish on Sale’s night, as he racked up 10 strikeouts in another strong performance.

Meanwhile, the Braves were completely stymied by Kelly. Atlanta’s first 12 hitters were retired in order, and they didn’t reach base until Marcell Ozuna walked in the fifth. Their first hit didn’t come until Ronald Acuña Jr. singled in the sixth. Kelly finished his dominant outing having allowed just one hit and one walk across seven innings.

Things got tense in the eighth, not just because the Braves finally showed some signs of life, but also due to an unfortunate injury. Reliever Daysbel Hernández had to exit with a finger issue after throwing a wild pitch. Ozzie Albies quickly flagged down the training staff, and Aaron Bummer was brought in mid-count to finish the inning, which he did admirably.

With Kelly out of the game, the Braves threatened immediately. Alex Verdugo and Sean Murphy each singled, putting runners on second and third with no outs. After the bases were loaded, the Diamondbacks opted to pitch to Austin Riley instead of Acuña with a base open—and the gamble paid off. Riley struck out swinging with the bases loaded to squander a huge scoring opportunity.

Arizona made the Braves pay in the top of the ninth. After Raisel Iglesias issued a walk to Tim Tawa, Ketel Marte delivered an RBI single to make it 2-0, giving the Diamondbacks much-needed insurance.

Atlanta tried to mount a final comeback. Matt Olson walked and moved to second on a wild pitch, Albies walked, and Luke Williams was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Drake Baldwin finally got Atlanta on the board with a walk that brought home a run, but Michael Harris II couldn’t extend the rally, striking out to end the game.

While the Braves avoided being shut out, they’ve now scored just a single run in two games during this homestand. With another loss, they’d return to being seven games below .500—the same spot where they began the season.

It’s a tough stretch, no doubt. But the Braves will have to regroup quickly, as the series finale comes early with a 12:15 p.m. ET first pitch. Let’s hope they show up ready.