Arizona Diamondbacks 6, Cleveland Guardians 3: Just Dingers

Now that the Arizona Diamondbacks have gotten past the Philadelphia Phillies, they have returned to their previously scheduled programming of winning series. They had no easy task in front of them tonight as they faced the Cleveland Guardians’ ace in Shane Bieber. The Los Angeles Dodgers had been absolutely pulverized by the San Francisco Giants, so a win tonight now puts them four games ahead for the division lead.

Arizona sent Tommy Henry to the mound who really had a tough go of things early on. The first two Guardians’ batters of the game, Steven Kwan and Ahmed Rosario, singled off of him and would be his biggest challenge all night. Henry secured a big out next by retiring Jose Ramirez on a lineout. However, with two outs in the first Henry walked consecutive batters to bring in Cleveland’s first run of the game before finally getting out of the first with a strikeout. Tommy once again found himself in two out trouble in the top of the second giving up consecutive singles to Steven Kwan and Ahmed Rosario, already their second hits in as many innings. Fortunately, he buckled down against Jose Ramirez once more to escape the frame with no damage. Cleveland’s second run of the game came in the top of the third on a solo home run from Andres Gimenez that just barely stayed fair down the right field line. The thorns in Henry’s side, brothers Kwan and Rosario, notched two out singles in the fourth but just as in the second inning nothing would come of it.

Arizona began the journey to their 21st come from behind victory of the season in the bottom of the fourth inning. It started with a walk from Ketel Marte ahead of Christian Walker who took Bieber yard to right field tying the game at two apiece.

It was the first of what would be four home runs for Arizona, three of which would come against Shane Bieber. Arizona and Cleveland traded scoreless innings through the seventh before Arizona’s offense erupted to put this game out of reach in the eighth inning. Bieber went back out to the mound despite having a pitch count approaching one hundred and the Diamondbacks capitalized. Jake McCarthy, who has been on a bit of a hitting tear the last week, took a 2-2 inside slider for a ride out to the pool to give Arizona the lead. Three batters later Corbin Carrol smoked a 1-0 fastball down the middle of the plate about 40ish feet further than McCarthy into the right field bleachers making the score five to two.

That moonshot prompted Tito Francona to dip into his bullpen for the first time all evening, but it would make little difference. Nick Sandlin took over in relief of Shane Bieber, but he too served up an eighth inning home run to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. who has been crushing it all season long.

Kyle Nelson and Scott McGough teamed up to pitch a one run ninth inning and secure a six to three victory for Arizona. The win puts them four games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the National League West lead.

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