L. Adams, Phillips power Braves vs. D-backs

ATLANTA -- The Braves moved a little closer to the slumping National League Wild Card leaders as they used Brandon Phillips' three-hit game and Lane Adams' three-run double to claim Saturday night's 8-5 win over the D-backs at SunTrust Park.
Along with moving one win away from evening their record (44-45), the Braves moved six games away from the Rockies for the second spot in the NL Wild Card race, which the D-backs still comfortably lead despite losing four straight for the first time this season, and 10 of their past 13.
This latest setback came after Patrick Corbin provided a five-inning effort that was tarnished by Phillips' third-inning solo homer and two-out RBI double in the fifth.

"We're playing a really good team here," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "They're fighting for a lot, just like we are. We're trying to win every game too. The guys have responded well."
Braves starting pitcher Mike Foltynewicz needed 51 pitches to complete the first two innings but limited his damage to one run until Chris Herrmann doubled to lead off the sixth and scored on Daniel Descalso's pinch-hit single. Foltynewicz has a 2.67 ERA over his past five starts and Atlanta has won 10 of the past 12 games he's started.
Paul Goldschmidt added an RBI single off of Luke Jackson to give the D-backs a lead until the bottom half of the inning, when Adams came off the bench to clear the bases with his decisive double off of Randall Delgado.
"It was supposed to be a slider down in the zone, but I think it was a little bit of a hanger," Delgado said. "He hit it pretty well. It was a mistake on my part."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
It was a little kooky: After the Braves loaded the bases with infield singles from Matt Kemp and Nick Markakis, and Dansby Swanson's two-out walk in the sixth, Snitker opted to use Lane Adams as a pinch-hitter because he didn't want to use Matt Adams against the left-handed reliever the D-backs would have brought into the game. Lane Adams, who laced a first-pitch slider to left field for a three-run double, had just five RBIs over his previous 32 plate appearances.
"I am grateful when my number is called and I was grateful the guys in front of me were able to get me in a situation where I could get that hit for us," he said.
Nifty escape: Foltynewicz surrendered three singles as the D-backs tallied a run in the first and then went to a full count against each of the five batters he faced during a scoreless, 32-pitch second inning. He stranded a pair of runners when Phillips ranged to his right to grab David Peralta's two-out grounder before flipping to Swanson, who grabbed the relay before firing to first base for an out.

"We're building the innings," D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. "We just haven't hit a ball in the gap or hit a big three-run home run and that's been the things that we've been doing all year long. We're just in a little bit of a rut with men in scoring position."
"I really didn't know if [Phillips] couldn't right himself to throw it to first so he wanted Dansby to throw it, or what went on," Snitker said. "I was just glad we got an out."
QUOTABLE
"That was a big hit for him. I told him to go up there and sign where it landed. He got all of that one."
-- Snitker, on Jace Peterson's first career pinch-hit homer, which traveled a projected 408 feet per Statcast™ and landed on the Chop House roof beyond the right-field wall

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Phillips has hit seven of his eight home runs at home, including this most recent one which traveled a projected 427 feet per Statcast™. He now has accounted for three of the five longest home runs hit by a right-handed hitter at SunTrust Park.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW
The Braves unsuccessfully challenged that Kurt Suzuki tagged Descalso before he slid across the plate on Goldschmidt's sixth-inning go-ahead single. The safe call was confirmed after a review of 1 minute, 15 seconds.
WHAT'S NEXT
D-backs:Zack Godley gets the ball Sunday at 10:35 a.m. MST as the D-backs close out their three-game set with the Braves at SunTrust Park. The Braves hit Godley hard in his only career start against them as he allowed seven runs in five innings on Aug. 22, 2016.
Braves:Jaime Garcia will take the mound for the finale of this three-game set that begins Sunday at 1:35 p.m. ET. Garcia is drawing interest on the trade front, but his value has dropped as he has allowed at least five earned runs in his past four starts.
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