PHOENIX _ The Atlanta Braves were on the road and Mike Foltynewicz was on the mound, which meant it was run-scoring time for the normally low-octane offensive outfit from Atlanta.
But Arodys Vizcaino came on in relief, which lately has been quite an unsettling and unsuccessful proposition for the Braves. Vizcaino blew a 7-4 lead in the seventh inning and John Gant gave up a walk-off homer to Paul Goldschmidt on the second pitch of the ninth inning in a 9-8 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
Freddie Freeman hit two home runs to continue his career-long torrid hitting at Chase Field, including a two-run homer in the first inning and a leadoff homer in the ninth to tie the score after Vizcaino blew a three-run lead.
Freeman has hit .429 with eight homers and 18 RBIs in his past 15 games, extending his career-high total to 26 homers, three above his previous best done twice before this season. In 16 career games at Chase Field, he's hit .426 with eight doubles, eight homers and 23 RBIs.
He homered on the first pitch he saw from Zack Godley in the first inning _ after Freeman missed Sunday's game with a finger injury _ and Adonis Garcia hit a two-run homer in the three-run second inning as the Braves built a 5-0 lead.
But they couldn't protect it, even after Foltynewicz gave up four runs in the second and third innings and the Braves tacked on two more in the fifth to push the margin back to 7-4.
The Braves have lost eight of their past nine games and dropped 10 of 12 games since winning six of seven.
Vizcaino entered to begin the seventh inning with a three-run lead ... and was pulled seven batters later with two outs and the Braves trailing 8-4. The lead vanished quickly, and so has Vizcaino's previously dominant form.
He gave up four hits, four runs and a walk, including a three-run double by Wellington Castillo that gave the Diamondbacks their first lead of the night, 8-7. The former Braves closer _ he had that role until he got hurt _ has a 21.60 ERA in his past eight appearances.
That includes five appearances before and three since a one-month stint on the disabled list for a strained oblique.
Vizcaino has allowed 12 earned runs in five innings over those eight appearances, including seven Braves losses. This after he allowed just 13 earned runs over his previous 70 appearances going back to his return in July 2015 from an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs.
He had a 1.76 ERA with 82 strikeouts and 28 walks in 66 1/3 innings over those 70 appearances through June 27, and has four strikeouts and 11 walks in five innings since, including at least one walk in all eight appearances in that span.
Freeman had a homer and a double in the first two innings and Ender Inciarte had a single and a triple in those two busy frames for the Braves in the center fielder's first game back at Chase since the Diamondbacks traded him to Atlanta.
Nick Markakis added three hits including a first-inning double and an RBI single in the two-run fifth inning.
Foltynewicz gave up four runs in the first three innings, then settled in for three scoreless innings and was poised for his fourth win in his past six starts _ despite a 5.94 ERA in that span _ and his fourth consecutive road win.
But that was before Vizcaino came in and had his worst appearance yet in a string of bad ones.
Foltynewicz was charged with nine hits and four runs in six innings, with seven strikeouts and no walks.
The Braves are the lowest-scoring team in the majors, but when Foltynewicz pitches on the road they've often been transformed into a formidable offense. After getting a no decision Monday, he's 3-0 in his past four road starts while posting a 5.87 ERA in those games and receiving more than 11 support runs per nine innings pitched.
The Braves scored six, eight, seven and seven runs while he was in the game in his past four road starts.
