Atlanta Braves suffer heartbreaking 11-10 loss to Arizona Diamondbacks on June 6, 2025, after a 7-run 9th. Acuña Jr. & Riley homered. Kimbrel to join bullpen.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It's hard to find the words, Braves Country. Just when you thought this rough stretch couldn't get any worse, Friday night delivered an absolute gut punch. The Atlanta Braves snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, surrendering a seven-run ninth inning to fall 11-10 to the Arizona Diamondbacks, completing a demoralizing sweep at Truist Park. The fallout was immediate, with news breaking that familiar hero Craig Kimbrel is being called up to try and stop the bleeding in a beleaguered bullpen.
'We’re going to mix and match, and guys are going to get a lot more opportunities. We’re going to have to make it work, because it’s what we got.' - Brian Snitker on the bullpen.
The Braves looked poised to salvage a game, leading comfortably before the ninth inning disaster. Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley, and rookie Drake Baldwin all went deep, part of a 12-hit attack that saw eight go for extra bases. But the bullpen, a recurring concern, imploded spectacularly. Scott Blewett couldn't stem the tide, and closer Raisel Iglesias was tagged with his fourth blown save as Eugenio Suárez delivered the go-ahead two-run double. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Alek Thomas also homered in that fateful ninth for Arizona, with Ketel Marte adding his own earlier homer and a crucial RBI single in the ninth. The game ended with Marcell Ozuna grounding into a double play, a fittingly frustrating end to a night that saw the Braves drop their fourth straight and 11th of their last 14.
The immediate aftermath of the bullpen meltdown brought a significant development: the Braves are calling up Craig Kimbrel. Yes, *the* Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta's all-time saves leader. After a tough 2024 with Baltimore, Kimbrel signed a minor league deal in March and has apparently shown enough in Triple-A to warrant a call-up. Manager Brian Snitker didn't mince words about the bullpen situation: 'We’re going to mix and match, and guys are going to get a lot more opportunities. We’re going to have to make it work, because it’s what we got.' This move signals a clear intent to shake things up and find a reliable arm for high-leverage situations. Can Kimbrel recapture some of his old magic? The Braves are desperately hoping so.
Amidst the wreckage of another loss, there were a few individual performances worth noting. Ozzie Albies quietly extended his on-base streak to an impressive 20 games with a walk, showcasing his consistent offensive presence even as the team struggles. He's now hit safely in 17 of those 20 games, one of the longest active streaks in MLB. Rookie catcher Drake Baldwin also continued to be a revelation, launching a towering home run to the Chop House in right field. It followed Ronald Acuña Jr.'s own blast in the sixth. Baldwin's power and poise have been a welcome sight and offer a glimmer of hope for the future.
This one stings, there's no sugarcoating it. Another tough loss, another bullpen implosion. But as reliever Aaron Bummer put it, 'The beautiful thing about baseball is you get to do it all again tomorrow... You take whatever happened today with you into the shower, you wash it off in the shower, and you move onto the next.' The Braves will have to do just that, with the added intrigue of Craig Kimbrel's return. Here's hoping a familiar face can help turn the tide. On to the next one, folks.
