Brandon Pfaadt keeps turning his season around at exactly the right time, and Friday night in Atlanta was his loudest statement yet.
The Diamondbacks right-hander blanked the Braves for seven innings at Truist Park, giving up just two hits while striking out seven and walking none in a 2-0 Arizona win. On the other side, Chris Sale - the 2024 National League Cy Young and Triple Crown winner - was also sharp, but Pfaadt won the duel anyway, holding the National League East leaders in check while Sale permitted one earned run on five hits over six innings.
For Pfaadt, this wasn’t just another strong outing. It was the second straight start in which he worked seven scoreless innings, and it marked the third time this season he’s gone seven without allowing a run. All three of those scoreless seven-inning performances have come since he first did it on July 28.
That’s a sharp turn from where things stood earlier in the year. Pfaadt opened with a 5.92 ERA across his first 13 appearances, including three starts, and that rough stretch sent him back to Triple-A Reno in early June. Since returning to Arizona on June 30, though, he has looked like a different pitcher entirely: 6-0 with a 1.32 ERA over eight starts.
The timing matters, too. The Diamondbacks are fighting for a National League Wild Card spot, and Pfaadt may be finding his best form just as the race tightens up. Arizona has won eight of the last nine games he has started.
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