Chris Herrmann capped the first two-homer game of his career in timely fashion and allowed the D-backs to complete a three-game sweep with Sunday afternoon’s 5-3, 11-inning win over the Braves at Turner Field.
Herrmann’s two-run homer off Jim Johnson sunk the Braves, who had tied the game with a three-run eighth inning. Atlanta has lost 15 of its first 16 home games. The D-backs entered this series having lost six straight games and eight of their past nine.
D-backs starter Patrick Corbin scattered five hits over seven scoreless innings and exited with a 3-0 lead. But Jeff Francoeur produced a game-tying, two-run double off Jake Barrett, who entered after Tyler Flowers’ RBI single accounted for one of the three hits left-hander Andrew Chafin surrendered in the eighth.
Coming off a start in which he allowed the Mets three first-inning homers, Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz matched a career high with eight strikeouts and surrendered just two runs over seven innings. Corbin delivered an RBI triple after Erick Aybar’s defensive miscue extended the fifth inning, and Herrmann further marred Foltynewicz’s impressive outing when he drilled an 0-2 fastball off the right-field foul pole with two outs in the seventh.
Nick Markakis highlighted his three-hit game by beginning Atlanta’s three-run eighth with one of the three hits surrendered by Chafin within a span of four batters. Flowers chased Chafin with a RBI single and Francoeur followed by greeting Barrett with a two-run double that traveled down the left-field line far enough to allow pinch-runner Mallex Smith to easily score from first and tie the game at 3.
Power surge: After starting the season with just one hit in his first 20 at-bats, Herrmann’s bat has come alive. He has homered in three of his last five starts and is 9-for-19 over that span.
Foltynewicz recorded three strikeouts during a perfect fourth inning and had retired 11 straight batters before Brandon Drury opened the fifth with a single. Corbin would not have been given a chance to score Drury with his triple had Aybar not fumbled Chris Owings’ potential inning-ending double-play grounder. Aybar’s defensive woes continue to haunt the Braves, but he has continued to play shortstop, even when Daniel Castro is in the lineup.
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez was unsuccessful when he challenged whether Paul Goldschmidt violated the slide rule when he was forced out at second base in the 11th inning. Goldschmidt seemed to get his feet tangled as he slid awkwardly, but he never lost touch of the second-base bag.
Matt Wisler will take the mound when Atlanta opens a three-game series against Philadelphia on Tuesday at 6:10 p.m. CT. Wisler will be making a second straight start with two extra days of rest. He limited the Mets to one hit over eight scoreless innings during his most recent outing.
