The Atlanta Braves’ Ender Inciarte celebrates his ninth-inning home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday in Phoenix. The Braves rallied for six runs in the ninth to win 9-5.PHOENIX – Ender Inciarte failed to execute a sacrifice bunt in the ninth inning. It worked out just fine for the Atlanta Braves.
Facing a 3-2 count with two men on, Inciarte swung away and hit a go-ahead, three-run homer during a six-run rally, and the Braves went on to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-5 on Sunday and increase their NL East lead to 4 1/2 games.
The Braves took advantage of a loss by the Philadelphia Phillies to match their biggest division edge of the season. Atlanta took three of four in the series at Arizona.
“I was just trying to hit it hard up in the air somewhere, because I wanted to move the runners however I can, and I didn’t want to hit a ball into a double play,” Inciarte said. “I got a good pitch to hit, and I was able to hit the ball like that.”
The third-place Diamondbacks have lost seven of their past nine games. They stayed 2 1/2 games behind NL West-leading Colorado.