PHOENIX (AP) — Rookie José Fernandez’s bunt single in the second inning led to two unearned runs and the Arizona Diamondbacks held on to defeat the Atlanta Braves 2-1 on Saturday night.
With runners at first and second, Fernandez dropped a bunt to the third-base side of the mound. Braves pitcher Bryce Elder picked it up and threw wildly to first, allowing Gabriel Moreno and Nolan Arenado to score.
Michael Soroka (2-0) allowed one run in five innings for the Diamondbacks. He gave up four hits and one run. He threw 91 pitches in walking three and striking out three.
Taylor Clarke, Jonathan Loáisaga, Juan Morillo and Paul Sewald each pitched a 1-2-3 relief inning, with Sewald picking up his third save.
Elder (1-1) still hasn’t allowed an earned run this season in 13 innings, but he took the loss on Saturday because of his own error. He pitched seven innings, giving up four hits, walking one and striking out eight.
The Braves’ run came in the second. Mike Yastrzemski led off with a walk, advanced to second on an infield out and scored on Dominic Smith’s two-out single to left.
Neither team had a runner after the fifth inning.
The Braves are playing 13 days in a row to open the season. Even with the loss Saturday, they’re 6-3 — a stark contrast to last season’s 0-7 start that the team never really recovered from on the way to a 76-86 season, the franchise’s worst since a 72-90 finish in 2017.
Mauricio Dubón’s leadoff single in the fifth, clocked at 105 mph, went off — or through — the glove of Arizona shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, who had to replace the equipment before play resumed.
Up next
Arizona sends RHP Brandon Pfaadt (0-0, 7.50) to the mound in Sunday’s series finale. LHP Martin Pérez (0-0, 0.00) starts for Atlanta.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
