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ATLANTA -- Julio Teheran continues to pitch at a higher level at home, even when he's facing one of the hottest-hitting teams in the National League. The right-hander again exhibited his home-field magic, allowing only one run over six innings in the Atlanta Braves' 3-2 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday at Turner Field.
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Arizona entered the game with a .267 batting average (third in the league) and had scored 32 runs in its previous three games
"I was just trying to pitch my game," Teheran said. "I knew they've been doing really good. I was trying to pitch like I've been doing my last three starts and not worrying about what they've been doing the games before."
Teheran (8-6) gave up three hits, two walks and struck out seven. Teheran is now 6-1 with a 2.44 ERA in 12 starts at home. It was the fewest number of runs he has allowed since July 3. He threw 102 pitches and retired the side in order only twice. He won back-to-back decisions for the first time this season.
"He commanded all his pitches. What did he punch out? Seven," Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "The slider was really, really good. He threw in and kept some of those right-hand hitters off with the slider."
Teheran is now 3-1 with a 2.17 in five career starts against the Diamondbacks.
"He threw a lot of breaking balls early to get strikes and elevated his fastball," Arizona manager Chip Hale said. "We tried to do a good job laying off the elevated fast ball early and we did a better job as the game went on. There were a lot of well-struck balls, especially as the game got deeper, that were caught in the outfield."
Arodys Vizcaino pitched a perfect ninth inning to record his third save. He struck out third baseman Jake Lamb to end the game.
Atlanta center fielder Cameron Maybin went 2-for-3, including a triple, and reached base three times. He drove in a pair of runs and made a diving highlight-reel catch in the seventh inning to rob second baseman Chris Owings of an extra-base hit.
"We played some kind of defense today, boys," Gonzalez said. "Maybin and that play in the ninth inning (a groundout by left fielder David Peralta) that (second baseman Jace) Peterson made ... that's not easy on either end."
Robbie Ray (3-8) was the losing pitcher. The left-hander threw 4 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on six hits and four walks, with no strikeouts, and was helped by three double plays. Ray is 0-4 since the All-Star Game.
"He just couldn't get ahead," Hale said. "For the amount of pitches he threw and pitching from behind, actually did a really nice job limiting the damage to three runs. They did a nice job. They made him throw strikes and that's one of the things he's working on and he's going to get better."
The Braves scored two runs in the bottom of the third. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons got Atlanta's first hit against Ray with one out and went to second on a sacrifice bunt.
Simmons scored on Peterson's fourth triple into the right-field corner. Maybin followed with an RBI triple in the right-field gap.
Atlanta added a run in the fifth to take a 3-0 lead. Simmons singled and was sacrificed to second. Peterson walked and Maybin hit a sharp single that was just out of the reach of diving shortstop Nick Ahmed that allowed Simmons to score.
That ended the night for Ray, only the second time in 14 starts that he has failed to pitch at least five innings. Left-hander Andrew Chafin issued an intentional walk and got the final two outs in the inning, leaving the bases loaded.
The Diamondbacks cut the lead to 3-1 with a run in the sixth. Right fielder Ender Inciarte reached on a one-out single, took second on a wild pitch and scored on a double by first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.
Arizona got an unearned run in the eighth inning against reliever David Aardsma. With two outs, Inciarte doubled, went to third on a passed ball and scored on a single by center fielder A.J. Pollock. Aardsma was able to induce Goldschmidt, the league's leading hitter, into an inning-ending groundout.
"Tough game," Hale said. "You lose 3-2. Guys are battling, you have the tying run on at points in the game and just couldn't come through."
NOTES: Atlanta signed RHP Edwin Jackson and will use the veteran out of the bullpen. He was released by the Cubs on July 29 after going 2-1 with a 3.19 ERA in 31 innings and 23 games. Atlanta optioned RHP Ryan Kelly to Triple-A Gwinnett to clear a roster spot. The Braves claimed RHP Danny Burawa on waivers from the Yankees and assigned him to Gwinnett. ... Arizona OF Yasmany Tomas got another day off to give his left calf more time to heal. Manager Chip Hale said the rookie should be back in the lineup on Saturday. ... Arizona OF David Peralta celebrated his 28th birthday on Friday. ... Matchups for the second game of the three-game series on Saturday are Arizona LHP Patrick Corbin (2-3, 4.08 ERA) facing Atlanta RHP Mike Foltynewicz (4-3, 5.23).
