Atlanta Braves vs Arizona Diamondbacks

Arenado's two-run homer in the third inning turned a 4-2 lead into a 6-2 advantage and effectively ended the contest. Braves starter Grant Holmes — who entered with a 2.45 ERA over his previous seven starts — never recovered, surrendering six runs on six hits over 3⅔ innings before being pulled.

"Everyone is going to have a clunker every now and again," Braves manager Walt Weiss said after the game, via MLB.com. "Nobody is immune to that. Grant will be all right."

Nolan Arenado (Arizona) — Player of the Match. The eight-time All-Star went 2-for-4 with two home runs, four RBIs, three runs scored and a walk. It is the ninth time in his career he has reached 20 home runs in a season.

Eduardo Rodriguez (Arizona) — W, 12-4. The left-hander allowed two runs on five hits with five strikeouts and no walks over six innings. His 2.71 ERA ranks ninth among qualified MLB starters.

Ronald Acuña Jr. (Atlanta) — 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a run scored. His leadoff homer was his 13th of the season.

Grant Holmes (Atlanta) — L, 7-5. The right-hander allowed six earned runs on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts, matching his shortest outing of the season.

Arizona out-hit Atlanta 13-6 and went 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position — a stark turnaround after going 2-for-30 with RISP over the previous three games, during which they scored just eight runs total. The D-backs' 10 runs matched their second-highest total in August. The Braves, who average 4.83 runs per game (sixth-most in MLB), were held to three runs or fewer for the second straight night after being shut out 2-0 on Friday.

Arizona improved to 66-58 and remained tied with the San Diego Padres for the second NL Wild Card spot. The Diamondbacks have won series against the Dodgers and Braves in the same road trip, underscoring their postseason credentials. The Braves (projected NL East leaders) lost for just the fourth time in a series at Truist Park this season. The two teams conclude their three-game set on Sunday, 16 August, before Atlanta heads on a seven-game road trip.

Arenado's power surge and Rodriguez's steady hand turned a potential Braves rout into a Diamondbacks demolition. Arizona's 5-for-12 clip with runners in scoring position was the most telling number — after a week-long RISP drought, the D-backs' offence clicked at precisely the right time against a first-place club.