PHOENIX — TJ Friedl loved a simple trot residence for what proved to be the successful run within the Eleventh inning after a two-out, two-strike balk.
It was a weird strategy to cap a weird sport, however the Cincinnati leadoff hitter stated that is simply the way it goes when two groups are battling for playoff place within the canine days of August.
Friedl scored on Nabil Crismatt’s balk, Lucas Sims closed for his third save of the season, and Cincinnati overcame an early four-run deficit — together with shaking off the sting of blowing a three-run lead within the tenth — to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-7 on Saturday evening.
“We will battle for each inch, and we all know they’re, too,” Friedl stated. “That is simply the sport we’re taking part in proper now. We’re attempting to scratch runs collectively any manner we are able to and they’re, too. That is an enormous, large win for us.”
Cincinnati snapped Arizona’s six-game successful streak, which was tied for its longest of the season. The D-backs took the primary two of the four-game collection, however the Reds responded to take the third contest Saturday, with each golf equipment in the course of a six-team scramble for the Nationwide League’s three wild-card spots.
The finale is Sunday.
“It hurts as a result of we care a lot,” D-backs supervisor Torey Lovullo stated. “There have been loads of examples the place we did issues effectively and executed. And there have been loads of examples the place we did not. It caught as much as us in the long term.”
The Diamondbacks trailed 7-4 within the tenth however rallied for 3 runs. Geraldo Perdomo began with an RBI single, scoring Jose Herrera, who began the inning on second, chopping it to 7-5. Corbin Carroll adopted with a stroll after which Tommy Pham hit a routine floor ball that second baseman Matt McLain misplayed for his second error of the evening, which allowed Perdomo to attain.
Christian Walker tied it on a sacrifice fly, scoring Carroll.
It was simply the second blown save of the season for Reds nearer Alexis Diaz. All three of the runs had been unearned.
However the Reds pushed forward once more within the Eleventh when Crismatt flinched on an 0-2 depend. Second-base umpire C.B. Bucknor instantly known as the balk and the D-backs did not argue.
The Reds rallied from a 4-2 deficit within the ninth to pressure further innings. Tyler Stephenson’s one-out double scored Noelvi Marte, who led off the inning with a stroll. Friedl adopted with a single, which superior pinch runner Michael Siani to 3rd, after which McLain hit a tender groundout that was sufficient to attain Siani.
“That was a troublesome win,” Reds supervisor David Bell stated. “It was not excellent. Quite a lot of issues occurred, however you stick with it. You grind it out, keep collectively and good issues occur.”
It was Paul Sewald’s fifth blow save this season, and his second since becoming a member of the D-backs from the Mariners in a commerce deadline swap.
The Reds scored three extra runs within the tenth to take a 7-4 lead. They opened with three straight hits off Miguel Castro, beginning with Spencer Steer’s double to deep middle that scored Elly De La Cruz, who started the inning on second base.
Arizona stretched its early result in 4-0 within the fifth on Ketel Marte’s no-doubt three-run homer to proper, which was his twenty first lengthy ball of the yr and his a centesimal since becoming a member of the D-backs in 2017.
Arizona beginning pitcher Zach Davies had an excellent efficiency in his first begin since July 18 after occurring the injured record with decrease again irritation. The veteran right-hander threw 5 scoreless innings earlier than giving up a solo homer to McLain to guide off the sixth, chopping the D-backs’ result in 4-1. De La Cruz adopted with a stroll, which ended Davies’ evening.
He gave up 5 hits and two walks whereas placing out 5.
Cruz was the opener for the Reds and struck out 4 batters over 1 1/3 innings. Proper-hander Ben Vigorous threw 5 2/3 innings of reduction, giving up three runs on six hits whereas placing out 5. It was the longest reduction outing for a Reds pitcher since 2014.
FACE TIME
Carroll had a triple and double on the identical evening the D-backs gave away 15,000 bobbleheads of the All-Star rookie.
MAKING MOVES
To make room for Davies on the energetic roster, the Diamondbacks demoted RHP Justin Martinez to Triple-A Reno.
The Reds activated Vigorous (proper pectoral muscle pressure) and positioned LHP Alex Younger (left hamstring tightness) on the 15-day injured record. OF Stuart Fairchild (concussion) began a rehab project in Triple-A Louisville.
UP NEXT
The Reds will ship RHP Graham Ashcraft (7-8, 4.84 ERA) to the mound Sunday. The D-backs will counter with RHP Slade Cecconi (0-0, 2.93 ERA).
