Merrill Kelly pitched seven strong innings and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the visiting Atlanta Braves 3-2 for their season-high sixth straight win on Friday in the opener of a three-game series between two division leaders in Phoenix.

Kelly (7-3) allowed two runs on five hits -- two of them home runs by Eddie Rosario -- three walks and eight strikeouts. He has won his last six decisions and beat the Braves for the first time in four career starts.

Austin Adams faced the top of the Atlanta order in the eighth and pitched a scoreless frame that included two strikeouts.

Miguel Castro pitched the ninth and escaped trouble to earn his sixth save. Castro allowed runners on the corners before retiring Ozzie Albies and Orlando Arcia to end the game.

The losing pitcher was Charlie Morton (5-6), who worked seven innings and gave up three runs on six hits, two walks and nine strikeouts. He has fanned nine-plus batters four times and in three of the last four games.

Arizona's Ketel Marte went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and saw his 11-game hitting streak and his 30-game on-base streak both come to an end.

The Diamondbacks scored two runs in the first inning on a double by Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

The Braves cut the lead to 2-1 in the second inning on Rosario's solo homer, his sixth, which landed in the pool beyond the fence in right-center.

A base-running error cost the Braves a run in the third. Matt Olson walked and Austin Riley doubled to left. But Olson was late to stop while rounding third and was cut down trying to get back to the bag.

Arizona scored with two outs in the third on a walk to Corbin Carroll and an RBI double by Christian Walker.

Rosario ripped his seventh homer in the seventh inning, this one to left field. It was his 11th multi-homer game and the first since Aug. 11, 2020 at Milwaukee.

--Field Level Media