Joc Pederson recorded three hits and drove in a pair of runs to help lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 6-4 lead over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday in Phoenix.
Christian Walker also plated a pair of runs on two sacrifice flies as Arizona used a two-run seventh inning to salvage the finale of the three-game series.
Spencer Torkelson hit a home run and Kerry Carpenter had a pinch-hit RBI triple, but the Tigers saw their modest two-game winning streak come to an end.
After Jordan Montgomery threw a scoreless top of the first for Arizona, Corbin Carroll tripled to lead off the home half of the inning. Ketel Marte then drew a walk, followed by Pederson’s run-scoring double off Detroit starter Matt Manning.
Walker drove in Marte with a sacrifice fly on the following plate appearance, extending Arizona’s first-inning lead to 2-0.
In the bottom of the second, Tucker Barnhart worked a one-out walk. After Carroll struck out, Marte reached on a single. Pederson then drove in Barnhart with a single.
Torkelson led off the third with his third home run of the year, cutting Detroit’s deficit to 3-1.
In the bottom of the fourth, Marte and Pederson connected on one-out singles to put runners on the corners. Walker hit a sacrifice fly to score Marte, giving the Diamondbacks a 4-1 lead.
Perez hit a one-out single in the top of the fifth before being driven in on Javier Baez’s two-out single to cut Detroit’s deficit to 4-2.
Manning then pitched a scoreless bottom of the fifth before he was relieved by Tyler Holton (3-1). Manning allowed four runs on 10 hits in five innings, striking out one and walking three.
In the top of the sixth, Matt Vierling drove in Andy Ibanez on a two-out double for Detroit’s third run. An inning later, Montgomery walked Perez to begin the seventh before being replaced by Ryan Thompson (2-1). Montgomery allowed four runs on five hits while striking out three and walking a pair in six innings.
Thompson retired Torkelson and Baez, but Carpenter drove in the tying run on a triple to center field. Carpenter was thrown out at home attempting to score the go-ahead run on an inside-the-park home run.
Randal Grichuk led off the bottom of the seventh with a single, chasing Holton. Walker singled off Alex Faedo before Lourdes Gurriel Jr. moved both runners over on a groundout.
Pavin Smith then hit a chopper to Baez who threw home, but Detroit catcher Jake Rogers couldn’t hold on, allowing Grichuk to score the go-ahead run.
Blaze Alexander followed with an RBI groundout, extending Arizona’s lead to 6-4.
Thompson threw a scoreless eighth, before Paul Sewald pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his third save of the season.
–Field Level Media
