PHOENIX — Freddie Freeman homered for the second straight game and Andrelton Simmons had three hits to help the Atlanta Braves to an 8-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.
Freeman’s two-run blast came in the fifth inning with Simmons on base, and Freeman also drove in a run with a sixth-inning single. Simmons extended his hitting streak to 10 games, and the runs were more than enough for Alex Wood (4-2), who held the Diamondbacks to a run on seven hits in eight innings.
The Braves, winners of their previous two games, tagged Diamondbacks starter Archie Bradley (2-3) for three runs in the second inning, all with two out. A.J. Pierzynski and Jonny Gomes singled and No. 8 hitter Todd Cunningham was walked intentionally to get to Wood, who lined a single up the middle for two runs batted in.
Simmons drove in Cunningham with a base hit before Bradley got out of the inning.
The Diamondbacks, a day removed from a 17-inning loss at Milwaukee on Sunday, scored their only run in the bottom of the fifth with Ender Inciarte’s sacrifice fly to drive in Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
Arizona lost a chance at more runs in the inning, however, when Yasmany Tomas was thrown out at second base trying to advance on the fly ball.
Bradley is still trying to find the rhythm that helped him start the season 2-0 including a win against Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw. But on April 28, Bradley was hit in the face with a batted ball in the second inning of his start against the Colorado Rockies and went on the disabled list from April 29 to May 16 with a sinus fracture.
He’s surrendered at least four earned runs in four starts since his return and is winless in three of those, unable to make it past five innings.
Bradley allowed five runs on eight hits in five innings on Monday.
ROSTER MOVES
The Braves called up right-handed pitcher Cody Martin from Triple-A Gwinnett in time for Monday’s game, a day after designating pitcher Donnie Veal for assignment.
The Diamondbacks reinstated pitcher Matt Stites (right elbow inflammation) from the 15-day disabled list before the game and optioned him to Triple-A Reno. Stites has yet to pitch in a major-league game this season.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Braves: OF Cameron Maybin was held out of the starting lineup with a slight groin injury but could return on Tuesday.
His replacement, Cunningham, scored twice, stole a base and made a diving catch in center field to steal a potential hit from Aaron Hill in the seventh.
Diamondbacks: C Tuffy Gosewich was scheduled for a follow-up examination of his injured left knee on Monday. A scan last Thursday in Milwaukee revealed a possible torn anterior cruciate ligament. … OF David Peralta, hit on the hand on attempted bunt on Sunday, was not in Monday’s starting lineup. But manager Chip Hale said he’s optimistic Peralta will avoid the disabled list.
Pitcher Patrick Corbin pitched 3 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts in an extended spring training game Monday, and pitcher David Hernandez, also coming back from elbow surgery, was scheduled to pitch for Double-A Mobile on Monday and Tuesday.
ALL IN THE WRISTER
Arizona Coyotes captain Shane Doan was on hand to throw out the first pitch before Monday’s game, and also introduced the Diamondbacks’ lineup.
UP NEXT
Braves: Shelby Miller brings his 1.48 earned run average over 10 starts and a 5-2 record into Tuesday’s outing against Arizona.
Diamondbacks: Josh Collmenter has held opponents to two runs in each of his last two starts. He’s 3-5 with a 5.05 ERA going into Tuesday’s start against Atlanta.
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