The Arizona Diamondbacks rode a balanced attack Saturday to a 9-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The D-backs had 13 hits and six different players had at least one RBI.
The win moved the D-backs’ record to 55-50. They have 4 straight series wins and have won or split their last 8 series (7-0-1) and 14 of their last 16 series overall since May 30, going 11-2-3.
The D-backs have dealt with more than their fair share of injuries this year, but one by one players have started to return, and the results on the field have shown. Since June 1st, the D-backs are 30-18. Torey Lovullo never lost faith and belief in his team, however.
“I felt like once we got our entire team on the field that we were going to start to play D-back type of baseball… As we were layering back in these guys I felt very strongly that we were going to start playing our best baseball.”
The D-backs still have a couple of starting pitchers working their way back in Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodriguez. If they are able to layer back in as well the team is only going to get stronger.
This team has also been battled tested, gone through the down times, and learned that they can not only survive them, they can thrive. They went through a serious down stretch last year after the All-Star break, but pulled out of it and got hot at the end, making it all the way to the World Series.
This year they dealt with the adversity on the front end. But their experience last year has carried over to this year, allowing them to draw on that experience to overcome it.
“You’re shaped by experiences in this game, and when you do something that we did last year, you remember the taste of it, you remember what it took, you remember the sacrifice and you remember commitment… a very strong brotherhood was formed last year in that clubhouse, coaches included. We remember that and we know what it’s going to take to get back there.”
Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll both hit homers in a three-run third inning against Marco Gonzales. Geraldo Perdomo and Marte each had sacrifice fly RBI in the 6th as well. But it took a three-run seventh inning to put the game on ice. Joc Pederson came off the bench to rip a two-run triple down the line and later scored on a Jake McCarthy base hit.
McCarthy went 5-for-5, all singles, and also scored a run and stole a base. It was the first five-hit game of his career, and the 26th in Diamondbacks franchise history. Two of the hits were infield hits, but he gets those kinds of hits because of his speed and the fact that the third baseman has to play in.
“He’s been really consistent all year long… he’s having a terrific year. It’s fun for us to watch because he’s working his butt off.”
Lovullo said the dugout was giving McCarthy a hard time because the last hit was a bloop single. “But I don’t care,” Lovullo said, “a hit is a hit. A five-hit game is a five-hit game, you don’t get them a lot.”
The ever-affable McCarthy laughed about his teammates ribbing him. “Yeah man, a hit’s a hit. I don’t light up the exit velo too much, so I’ll take it. I’ll tell everyone all five balls were crushed.”
Surprisingly, the D-backs needed most of that offense with Brandon Pfaadt on the mound. He cruised through the first four innings, the only blemish to that point a monster 473-foot homer from Oneil Cruz in the first inning. He retired 11 straight before getting knocked around a bit in the fifth and sixth innings.
Pfaadt gave up three runs in the fifth, the big hit being a long Joey Bart double. A triple off the center field wall by Cruz to start the sixth inning resulted in the Pirates’ fifth run, and drew them to within 6-5 at the time.
Pfaadt’s final line was 6 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 1 HR. But Lovullo said “The line score did not indicate what he did today… he kept us in the game, we won a baseball game.” Pfaadt’s record improved to 6-5 despite his ERA increasing to 3.92
The D-backs’ offense and bullpen took over from there. Justin Martinez, newcomer A.J. Puk, and Bryce Jarvis each threw a scoreless frame to close out the Pirates.
The D-backs go for the sweep tomorrow. Rookie Yilber Diaz pitches for Arizona and Mitch Keller starts for Pittsburgh. Game time is 1:10 p.m.
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Publish date : 2024-07-28 00:49:57
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