After both teams combined to score 34 runs in the first two games of the series, the rubber match turned into a pitchers’ duel between Davis Martin and Michael Soroka. At least it was until the ninth.
Arizona scored off Martin in the first on a Ketel Marte single and an Adrian Del Castillo double. After that, though, he didn’t allow another runner past first, thanks in part to a fourth-inning play from Munetaka Murakami that showed he’s more than just a slugger.
Davis ended up going 6 1/3 innings, giving up six hits and just one walk while striking out seven. He was matched most of the way by Soroka, who gave up four straight singles to Andrew Benintendi, Murakami, Miguel Vargas, and Colson Montgomery, most of them off curve balls that hung in the middle of the plate, but otherwise kept the Sox off the board.
Soroka gave up one more hit than Martin and had one fewer K, but the key difference is that he threw a lot more pitches per inning and lasted only five frames.
Both bullpens performed well, at least until one didn’t. Grant Taylor relieved Martin with one out and Nolan Arenado on first in the seventh. He gave up a double to Alek Thomas that missed a home run by about a foot, but bounced back with a strikeout and a scoreless eighth.
The Sox had a runner in scoring position in the eighth on Montgomery’s third single of the day (one a lucky pop-up, the others solid), a fielder’s choice, and a stolen base by pinch runner Derek Hill, but that was part of their 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
However, in the ninth, tied 1-1, the Diamondbacks went to their closer, Paul Sewald, who came into the game with a 1.93 ERA. Sewald had only issued one walk all season, but he had no idea where the ball was going this time. He walked Chase Meidroth (2-for-3) on four pitches, one on a challenge, the others not even close. Tristan Peters moved him over with a sacrifice, then he issued another free pass to pinch-hitter Edgar Quero with the balls all completely non-competitive (as Stoney would say). Behind in the count to Andrew Benintendi, he finally tried to steal a strike, and left a 92 mph fastball so middle-middle it might as well have been a game under 1870s rules, where a batter got to instruct the pitcher where to throw it. Benintendi showed his appreciation.
Balls don’t usually carry well in Arizona when the dome is shut, as it was today, but that 104.5 mph shot went 410 feet.
Will Venable handed a three-run lead to Seranthony Domínguez, who managed not to blow the save, getting two strikeouts in a clean ninth.
Only downer — the three consecutive-game homer streaks of Murakami, Montgomery, and Vargas all ended, so Mune will have to settle for tying the team and MLB rookie streak record at five.
The win ended a 4-2 western road trip and raised the Sox record to 10-15. Next, they head home to open a series with the Nationals tomorrow night.
