Arizona Diamondbacks impromptu starter Slade Cecconi, on the mound after Merrill Kelly’s appearance was scratched due to injury, led his team to a 5-3 victory Sunday at San Francisco.
The teams split the four-game series.
Kelly was scratched from his scheduled start after feeling discomfort in his right shoulder on Saturday.
He flew back to Phoenix to undergo further evaluation.
Cecconi was called up from Triple-A Reno on Sunday morning. To make room for him, reliever Justin Martinez was optioned to Reno.
Cecconi did not allow a hit until two outs in the fifth inning, when Thairo Estrada reached on an infield single.
Mike Yastrzemski followed with a home run on a 3-1 count to put the Giants ahead 2-1.
Arizona retook the lead with two runs in the top of the sixth inning, sparked by a leadoff double by Joc Pederson off reliever Erik Miller (0-1).
Eugenio Suarez then reached base on a fielding error by shortstop Nick Ahmed.
After a fly out by Christian Walker moved Pederson to third base and Suarez to second base, Gabriel Moreno singled to center to score both.
Cecconi (1-0) allowed two hits in six innings with three strikeouts and no walks.
It was Cecconi’s first major league start this season after having four starts with Arizona last season. He was 0-1 with a 4.33 ERA in 27 innings in those games.
Bryce Jarvis, Ryan Thompson and Kevin Ginkel pitched the last three innings for Arizona.
A double by Matt Chapman with one out in the ninth inning off Ginkel was followed by another double by Estrada with two outs to cut the lead to 5-3.
Ginkel struck out Yastrzemski for the last out, earning his fourth save.
Arizona took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after San Francisco starter Jordan Hicks hit the two first batters — Pederson and Suarez — with a pitch
With one out, a walk loaded the bases and Jake McCarthy then knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly.
The Diamondbacks built their lead to 5-2 in the top of ninth inning behind a sacrifice fly by Ketel Marte and an RBI double by Kevin Newman.
–Field Level Media
