Joc Pederson and Ketel Marte homered and the bullpen made it stand it up.
The Arizona Diamondbacks came through with a clutch, 6-5 team victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. The win allowed them to take the three-game series, and more importantly the season series from Pittsburgh.
The D-backs faced a tall task on Sunday, going up against the best pitcher in the National League in Paul Skenes. That was made all the more difficult when Ryne Nelson gave up a run in the first inning, and three more in a very bumpy second.
Down 4-0, Arizona battled to stay in the game. Nelson buckled down, throwing three scoreless innings after that to keep his team in the game. He ended up going five innings, allowing six hits just the four runs and struck out seven batters.
The lineup was busy working to see as many pitches as possible against Skenes. While they weren;t able to barrel anything up through the first five innings, they managed to work his pitch count, forcing him into a couple of 20 pitch innings.
That changed in the top of the sixth. Corbin Carroll led off with a triple off the right field wall, his NL-leading 10th of the year. Ketel Marte drove him home with a groundout. Joc Pederson singled and Josh Bell walked, ending Skenes’ day just one out into the fifth inning.
Jake McCarthy greeted reliever Hunter Stratton with an RBI single, closing the gap to 4-2. Skenes final line was 5.1IP 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, and just 4 K’s, three less than Nelson.
As is so often the case, Geraldo Perdomo started the game-winning rally with a walk in the seventh. Carroll drew a walk also, and then up stepped Joc Pederson. With two strikes, he hit a deep drive 410 feet to right center for a go-ahead three-run homer.
Oppo pop for Joc, 410 feet turns 4-2 deficit to 5-4 #Dbacks lead
pic.twitter.com/lWbIEGeENq— Jack Sommers (@shoewizard59) August 4, 2024
The bullpen took over the game for the D-backs starting with a Paul Sewald scoreless frame in the sixth. He allowed a one-out double, but one out later Ketel Marte made an outstanding play to rob an RBI base hit to end the inning.
Justin Martinez also allowed a one-out double in the seventh, but struck out three batters to record a zero. Dylan Floro followed by retiring the side in order in the eighth.
On to the ninth they went. Marte hit his 27th homer of the season to up the D-backs’ lead to 6-4. It was his league-leading seventh homer in the ninth inning. That run turned out to be pivotal.
Ryan Thompson started the ninth inning by walking the leadoff batter, pinch-hitter Andrew McCutchen, and giving up a base hit to Yasmani Grandal. He induced a popup on a sac bunt attempt, but couldn’t put Bryan Reynolds away, who singled on the 10th pitch of his at-bat to make it 6-5.
A.J. Puk came on and struck out Oneil Cruz on another long at-bat, and Bryan De La Cruz flew out end the game.
The Diamondbacks’ record goes to 60-52. They’ll maintain a Wild Card Spot and are just a half game behind the Atlanta Braves. The Pirates drop to 56-55, 3.5 games behind the D-backs in the standings.
Arizona moves on to Cleveland to start a three-game series on Monday. First pitch is 3:40 p.m. MST. Zac Gallen will be on the mound for the D-backs, and Logan T. Allen will start for the Guardians. (Not the same Logan Allen who pitches for the Reno Aces currently).
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