ATLANTA — It took a trip back to Atlanta for Shelby Miller to face his fold team to get his first victory with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Miller allowed four hits in six innings and the Diamondbacks added to the Braves’ woes with a 4-2 victory on Saturday night.
Brandon Drury had three hits for the Diamondbacks, including a tiebreaking RBI double in the sixth inning.
Miller (1-3) came in with a 8.49 ERA but allowed just three base runners ion his final four innings after Freddie Freeman hit a first-inning homer and the Braves added a run in the second.
The loss dropped the Braves to 1-14 at home and 7-22 overall, which is the worst in franchise history through 29 games. The Diamondbacks (14-18) came into the series with a six-game losing streak, but will go for their second series sweep of the season on Sunday.
The Diamondbacks gave up three players to get Miller in a winter trade, but the 2015 National League All-Star had struggled in his first six starts.
Miller wasn’t at his best early against the Braves but got on track after holding the damage to a run in the second, when he loaded the bases with no outs on a single, hit batter and walk.
Drury’s second double of the game put the Diamondbacks ahead. Braves reliever Bud Norris (1-5) walked Wellington Castillo leading off and Drury drove in his 12th run over an 18-game stretch.
Wellington Castillo drove in an insurance run in the ninth inning with an infield single off Arodys Vizcaino and Brad Ziegler pitched a perfect bottom of the inning for his 34th consecutive save and sixth of the season.
The only base runner for the Braves against the Arizona bullpen came on an eighth-inning walk issued by Daniel Hudson to Freeman.
Braves starter Julio Teheran left for a pinch hitter with the score tied after throwing 101 pitches in five innings. The right-hander gave up five hits and two runs (one unearned) while walking two and striking out five.
Miller hadn’t allowed a first-inning run or hit since his next-to-last start with the Braves a year ago until Freeman, the third Atlanta batter, picked on a first-pitch fastball and sent a liner just over the fence in right-center field.
It was Freeman’s fourth homer of the season and the 10th of his career against Arizona. The first baseman came into the game batting .404 against the Diamondbacks.
The Braves added a run in the second on a sacrifice fly by Mallex Smith, but the Diamondbacks tied it in the third.
Miller helped himself with a leadoff single and Jake Lamb delivered an RBI double, his second two-base hit of the game. The tying run scored with Braves shortstop Erick Aybar dropped the throw from the outfield.
NOTES: Ender Inciarte played left field and batted second for the Braves in his first game off the disabled list. He had been out since the third game of the season because of a hamstring strain. … Rookie Mallex Smith remained in center field despite Inciarte’s return. … Each team batted its pitcher eighth in the lineup again in the second game of the series. … LHP Patrick Corbin (1-3, 4.91 ERA) will start Sunday’s finale for Arizona against RHP Mike Foltynewicz (0-1, 9.82 ERA). … Braves INF Gordon Beckham (hamstring strain) began a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday. … Arizona RHP Josh Collmenter (shoulder inflammation) made his second rehab start for Class A Visalia on Saturday.