Braves Face D-backs, Seeking Third Straight Series Win

Atlanta looks to continue strong start to season against struggling Arizona offense

Apr. 5, 2026 at 2:22pm

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The Atlanta Braves will face the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, seeking their third straight series win to open the 2026 MLB season. The Braves have outscored the D-backs 19-2 in the first two games of the series, but Arizona bounced back with a 2-1 win on Saturday. Atlanta will turn to veteran pitcher Martin Perez, while the D-backs will counter with Brandon Pfaadt as they look to salvage the series finale.

Why it matters

The Braves are off to a hot start, and a third straight series win would be their best opening stretch since 2018. Meanwhile, the D-backs' offense has struggled to produce, scoring 2 or fewer runs in 4 straight games. This matchup could provide insight into the early-season trajectories of these two NL teams.

The details

The Braves have taken the first two games of the 4-game series against the D-backs, outscoring them 19-2. However, Arizona bounced back with a 2-1 win on Saturday. Atlanta will turn to veteran lefty Martin Perez, who threw 4.1 scoreless innings in relief earlier this week. The D-backs will counter with 27-year-old Brandon Pfaadt, who is 2-0 with a 5.66 ERA in 4 career starts against the Braves.

  • The series finale is scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Phoenix.
  • The Braves are seeking their third straight series win to open the 2026 season.

The players

Martin Perez

A 35-year-old veteran pitcher who signed a minor league deal with the Braves in January. He threw 4.1 scoreless innings in relief earlier this week and will make his fourth career start against the D-backs on Sunday.

Brandon Pfaadt

A 27-year-old right-handed pitcher for the D-backs. He is 2-0 with a 5.66 ERA in 4 career starts against the Braves and will look to bounce back after allowing 5 runs in 6 innings in his last outing.

Ronald Acuna Jr.

The Braves' superstar outfielder is off to a slow start, batting just .161 through the first 9 games of the season. Manager Walt Weiss is confident Acuna will turn it around soon.

Walt Weiss

The first-year manager of the Braves, who is not worried about Acuna's slow start and expects the star to get rolling soon.

Torey Lovullo

The manager of the D-backs, who has emphasized the need for his hitters to be more selective and 'zone in' on pitches around the plate to generate more offense.

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What they’re saying

“His swing looks kind of late. But they all go through ruts. We've seen all these guys go through ruts before. When he gets rolling, it's going to be fun to watch. But he seems kind of late to me, right now.”

— Walt Weiss, Braves Manager

“(Perez) is just a crafty veteran. He knows how to pitch. He's a salty veteran. He's been a good pitcher in this league for a long time. He threw the ball really well for us in that relief appearance last time out, so I expect him to be good again.”

— Walt Weiss, Braves Manager

“If we zone in, try not to do too much, wait for our pitch, it's the art of hitting and the beauty of baseball. When you do it, it's sweet music. When you chase, you get yourself into bad counts.”

— Torey Lovullo, Diamondbacks Manager

What’s next

The Braves will look to complete the series win on Sunday, while the D-backs aim to salvage the finale and end their homestand on a high note.

The takeaway

This matchup between the surging Braves and struggling D-backs offense will provide an early-season test for both teams as they look to establish their identities and set the tone for the rest of the campaign.