Braves crush Diamondbacks thanks to 8-run fifth

PHOENIX — The Braves scored eight times in the fifth inning thanks, in part, to an error and two overturned calls in their favor in a 17-2 win over the Diamondbacks at Chase Field in the opening game of a four-game series.

Ozzie Albies played a pivotal role in the eight-run fifth, starting the frame by drawing a six-pitch walk. Albies was originally rung up on a called third strike by home plate umpire Malachi Moore, but Albies challenged the call, and the Automated Ball-Strike system showed pitcher Ryne Nelson’s curveball up and away and well out of the zone.

Then the floodgates opened.

The Braves (5-2) collected four hits, drew four walks and took advantage of one costly error in the midst of the breakout inning.

Nelson, the D-backs starter, began to falter in the fifth when a pair of walks sandwiched around a liner to center brought Mauricio Dubón to the plate. Nelson got the ground ball he was looking for, a sharp roller to third, but Nolan Arenado booted it trying to make a backhand play, which allowed Dubón to reach.

Ronald Acuña Jr. then walked with the bases loaded making it 3-1, then Drake Baldwin beat out a double-play ball hit to third (Baldwin was originally called out at first before Braves manager Walt Weiss challenged the call and it was overturned), allowing Albies to score, and Matt Olson ripped an RBI double to the corner in right making it 5-1.

That spelled the end of the evening for Nelson (0-1).

Austin Riley added to the lead by taking Kevin Ginkel’s 3-2 sinker and ripping it down the third-base line for a two-run double. Albies came up for the second time in the inning and blooped an RBI single into shallow left.

Michael Harris II banged a double off the left field wall to score two more, the final blow of the inning. Nelson was charged with seven runs, but only two were earned.

Braves starter Reynaldo López really only needed the two runs of support he got after 2 1/2 innings. López (1-0) allowed a single run and just four hits over five innings of work, leaving after 79 pitches.

Olson gave the Braves a first-inning lead by turning around a 3-2 fastball from Nelson and sending it 415 feet out to center. It was Olson’s first homer of the season and second of his career off Nelson.

In the third, Dominic Smith made it 2-0 by destroying an 0-1 fastball from Nelson for a 430-foot home run into the stands in right field.

D-backs left fielder Jordan Lawler got one of those runs right back by taking the first López pitch of the bottom of the third and depositing it in the left field seats. It was Lawler’s first career dinger.

But it was the only noise the D-backs (3-4) made through the first eight innings.

Dubón kept the offensive onslaught coming in the sixth with a solo home run to left field off D-backs reliever Joe Ross. Mike Yastrzemski added a 12th run with an RBI groundout to first later in the inning.

Jorge Mateo hit a two-run homer in the ninth off catcher James McCann as the D-Backs waved the white flag. Olson added another RBI double, Kyle Farmer plated a run with a sacrifice fly and Yastrzemski added an RBI double.

The Braves’ eight-run inning in the fifth was their most runs in an inning since scoring nine against the Marlins on Aug. 26. The 17 total runs were the most since a 21-3 win over the Mets on Aug. 12, 2023.