ATLANTA _ The Braves offense never woke up, while the bullpen surrendered the go-ahead run in the seventh, squandering another notable outing from Anibal Sanchez.
Sanchez's magnificence was unwound by a familiar story. He exited after throwing 86 pitches over six one-run innings, giving way to a bullpen that's had a rough go lately.
The Diamondbacks took advantage, defeating the Braves 2-1 in a dreary, rainy atmosphere unfit for the record 42,130 in attendance at SunTrust Park.
Alex Avila doubled to start the sixth inning and advanced on starter Zack Godley's bunt. Jon Jay's softly hit single tied the game at 1-1.
That frame chased Sanchez, who struck out six and walked none while lowering his ERA to 2.60. He was relieved by Sam Freeman to open the seventh.
Freeman walked Daniel Descalso with one-out. Dan Winkler relieved him and threw a wild pitch that advanced Descalso.
Nick Ahmed's single put the Diamondbacks in front with rain drenching the stadium. Winkler navigated through a two-on threat to limit Arizona to one run. Jesse Biddle and Luke Jackson kept the Braves within a run entering the bottom of the ninth.
The bullpen struggles will overshadow the offense, but the Braves' bats didn't get much going against Godley and company. They had six hits, two courtesy of All-Star Nick Markakis, while receiving just one hit from their 6-9 hitters.
And while Freeman and Winkler haven't been at their best lately, limiting an offense to two runs often yields a positive result.
In the glass-half-full perspective, the mid-March flier on Sanchez continues to be a feather in the cap of general manager Alex Anthopoulos.
Sanchez skeptics will doubt he can maintain this rate in the season's second half; even if that's proven true, the 592/3 innings he's given the Braves thus far, especially given the team's unideal injury circumstances, have been crucial in keeping them within a day or two of first place.
After two easy outs to begin the game, the Braves recorded three straight hits, culminated by Kurt Suzuki's RBI single that scored Freddie Freeman and gave Sanchez a one-run lead.
Arizona entered the game having lost nine of its last 13 since taking three of four from the last-place Marlins. The Diamondbacks had slipped a half-game behind the Dodgers for first place in the National League West on Thursday.
The Braves, meanwhile, were bumped back another game with the Phillies' 2-0 win in Miami. The Nationals sit five games behind the Braves in third place with a 47-47 mark.
