Braves 'creeping back,' open series with D-backs

The Atlanta Braves will enter a weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix on Friday night after a day off to savor what could be a season-changing homestand.

The Braves doubled their win total while going 5-1 at home in the past week, sweeping the Minnesota Twins and taking two of three games from the St. Louis Cardinals.

Atlanta closed the homestand with a 4-1 victory on Wednesday behind Eli White's three-run homer in the eighth inning.

"I kind of feel us creeping back to where we want to be, playing good baseball," Braves manager Brian Snitker said after the homestand.

Propelled by Corbin Carroll and his National League-leading nine homers, the Diamondbacks had won five games in a row before losing four of their past six, the last two in extra innings to the Tampa Bay Rays in the first series of the homestand.

Game 1 of this weekend series will match Atlanta left-lander Chris Sale (0-2, 6.17 ERA) and Arizona right-hander Zac Gallen (1-3, 5.60), aces who have yet to find their form this season.

"The Braves are the Braves," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. "I know their record (10-14) is probably not what they want it to be. I know there's probably some frustration. It seems like ‘Snit' is doing a good job of correcting things and getting everybody on the same page. The Braves are loaded with talent. We have to be race-ready when they come into town."

The Diamondbacks had no update on left-hander A.J. Puk, who has sought opinions from respected orthopedic surgeons Dr. Neal ElAttrache and Dr. Keith Meister after being placed on the injured list Saturday with left-elbow soreness.

Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte, meanwhile, is progressing from the Grade 1 left hamstring strain that forced him onto the injured list April 5. Marte is set to begin light running and will hit only in an extended spring training game Saturday. There is no firm timetable for his return, but Lovullo said it might be within two weeks.

"I like the conservative approach," he said. "I love when the athlete comes back and you never have to worry about it again. That's where my head space is."

Sale has struggled in five starts and has not pitched more than five innings, a big difference from his 2024 season -- his first with Atlanta after spending the six seasons with the Boston Red Sox.

Sale won the pitcher's Triple Crown last season, when he led the National League in victories (18), ERA (2.38) and strikeouts (225) and won the league's Cy Young Award.

He is 3-0 with a 2.81 ERA in four appearances, three starts, against the Diamondbacks, and beat them twice last season, giving up two runs in 5 1/3 innings in each game.

Gallen gave up a season-high six runs in six innings of a 6-2 loss at the Chicago Cubs on Saturday in his last time out, although he retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced. He is 2-1 with a 3.19 ERA in five starts against Atlanta, losing in his only appearance in 2024.

--Field Level Media