PHOENIX (AP) - Ender Inciarte hit a three-run homer during a six-run rally in the ninth inning and the Atlanta Braves beat the skidding Arizona Diamondbacks 9-5 Sunday to increase their NL East lead to 4 ½ games.
The Braves took advantage of a loss by Philadelphia to match their biggest division edge of the season. Atlanta took three of four in the series.
The Diamondbacks have lost seven of nine. They stayed 2 ½ games behind NL West-leading Colorado.
Atlanta didn't have a hit until Ronald Acuna Jr. homered off Robbie Ray in the sixth. The Braves trailed 4-3 going into the ninth before Tyler Flower and Ozzie Albies opened with singles off Brad Boxberger (2-7) and Inciarte, a former Diamondbacks fan favorite, homered.
After Boxberger left to a chorus of boos from the crowd at Chase Field, Lucas Duda greeted reliever Yoan Lopez with a long home run to right. Acuna then tripled and Johan Camargo hit his 18th home run.
Lopez, in his major league debut, did not get an out in another Arizona bullpen implosion this month.
Sam Freeman (3-5) got the win with an inning of scoreless relief.
The Diamondbacks led 4-3 going into the ninth after Nick Ahmed and David Peralta delivered key hits in a four-run sixth inning.
Acuna Jr. scored three runs and Touki Toussaint pitched 5 2/3 innings for Atlanta. Toussaint left with a 2-0 lead against the team that originally drafted him.
Ray lost his no-hit bid when Toussaint singled sharply to left field with one out in the sixth. Acuna followed with an opposite-field home run to right.
Braves reliever Luke Jackson faced four hitters and didn't get an out, allowing two runs charged to Toussaint to score and two of his own.
The Braves made it 4-3 in the eighth against reliever Jake Diekman. Freddie Freeman's two-out single drove in Acuna from second base.
WALKING TO A RECORD
Arizona star Paul Goldschmidt, when he drew a walk in the third inning, surpassed Luis Gonzalez for the Diamondbacks' all-time record for walks with No. 651 in his career. Goldschmidt made it 652 with another walk in the seventh.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Diamondbacks: Peralta has a minor left ankle injury and was originally held out of Sunday's lineup until coming off the bench to pinch hit.
UP NEXT
Braves: LHP Sean Newcomb (11-8) starts the opener of a three-game set at San Francisco on Monday night. The Braves are 14-13 in his 27 starts this season.
Diamondbacks: RHP Zack Godley (14-8) opens a four-game series for Arizona at Colorado on Monday. Godley is 4-0 with a 2.56 earned run average in five career starts against the Rockies, including three wins at Coors Field.
