Playing without All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte, the Arizona Diamondbacks didn’t miss a beat on offense and steamrolled the Atlanta Braves 10-3 on Saturday, Aug. 15, at Truist Park.
The Diamondbacks (66-58) have won four of their last six games overall, with five straight road wins over Atlanta. They have a chance for a three-game series sweep on Sunday, Aug. 16, with a trip to Boston to play the contending Red Sox up next.
Nolan Arenado hit two home runs, a two-run shot in the third inning and a solo homer in the seventh, and totaled four runs batted in to lead a 13-hit attack for the Diamondbacks, who remain in a National League wild card position.
Ildemaro Vargas lined a three-run home run just over the left field wall in the top of the ninth, and the Diamondbacks dealt the NL East-leading Braves (73-50) their worst home defeat this season.
The Diamondbacks, with Marte dealing with left knee soreness that forced him out of Friday night’s game early on and kept him out of Saturday’s lineup, got another injury scare when hot-hitting catcher Gabriel Moreno took a foul tip off his protector but near his groin area.
It happened in the bottom of the seventh inning with two outs. Moreno could be heard shouting in pain and manager Torey Lovullo and a trainer came out of the dugout to check on Moreno.
After a few moments, Moreno smiled and put his gear back on, remaining in the game to catch reliever Jonathan Loasiga.
Marte was available off the bench, according to the FOX broadcast, but was not used.
Arenado became the 12th active MLB player with nine or more seasons of 20-plus home runs. Corbin Carroll hit his 15th triple of the season, and starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez survived a bumpy first inning to last six innings and improve to 12-4.
Atlanta scored two runs against Rodriguez in the bottom of the first inning, including a leadoff home run from Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. But Rodriguez retired 14 of the last 15 batters he faced.
Tim Tawa tied the game at 2 with an RBI single in the top of the second, and Ryan Waldschmidt’s two-out single gave the Diamondbacks the lead for good before the inning was over.
Doubles for Carroll and Moreno in the top of the third produced another run before Arenado’s first home run.
The final game of the series on Sunday, Aug. 16, begins at 10:35 a.m. MST.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arenado homers twice, E-Rod gets win as Diamondbacks hammer Braves