Game Summary
I’ve written previously that the defense making plays that aren’t gimmes is, in my opinion, the difference between this team making the playoffs and this team being where they’re at. Early in the year, a lot of those 50/50 plays came up short in key moments for the defense, and our pitchers – and winning percentage – paid the price. The last month, there have been several outstanding defensive plays in high leverage situations to swing a game in our favor and our record reflects that. Tonight added
another proof of evidence towards that statement.
Eduardo Rodriguez was battling through a long third inning, an inning in which he’d already throw over 30 pitches but not yet allowed a run to score. With the score 2-1 in his favor, he had runners at first and second with 2 outs and gave up a line drive single to center. Patrolling centerfield on this night was Blaze Alexander. Blaze came in and fielded, crow-hopped, and gunned down the Red Sox runner at the plate with a 95mph (per Bob on the night’s telecast) throw that was perfectly online and reached Gabi on the fly. A swift dive from our catcher to apply the tag got the Diamondbacks out of the inning, and likely saved E-Rod’s night. Who knows where the night may have gone had that play not been made. Fortunately, the play was made and the momentum swung back to the home dugout. It also allowed Rodriguez to go out and pitch the next 3 innings in a dominant fashion, recording his second straight Quality Start against a quality opponent.
The bullpen came on and was mostly very good outside of Bryce Jarvis being unable to record an out in the 8th. The offense was fortunately able to keep the game comfortable, running up 5 run leads twice, including a 4-run outburst in the 8th inning to match Boston’s output from the top-half of the inning. The Rattle of the lineup had been having a rough go of it coming into the night, with the only hit between them coming from Lawlar in the 2nd inning, but Locklear and Barrosa notched singles to put runners at first and third for the big boys and the big boys cashed them in with a single from Domo and Corbin’s 30th homer of the year.
Postseason odds didn’t get much better tonight with the Mets and Giants – yes, the Giants are even hotter than we are and are back in front of us in the standings – both getting wins tonight, but we are still playing very well against stiff competition. I could really see this end of season run giving us momentum going into 2026 just like the end of 2022 propelled us into 2023. Keep it going, Snakes!
Win Probability and Box Score
Outside the Box Score
- Geraldo Perdomo got the offense going for the night with a home run to the very last seat in the front row in left-center field, right next to the 413’ mark on the wall. Even more impressive? This was on the 9th pitch of the at bat. Domo doing Domo things.
- E-Rod grooved a 92mph fastball down the middle to Nathaniel Lowe in the second inning and Lowe tattooed it to deep right-center. Blaze gave a full sprint to try and get to it in time, but the ball hit off the padding at the middle of the wall and caromed away for an RBI triple. Right after the ball hit the wall, Blaze lost his footing and dropped to his knees just as he faceplanted into the wall. Painful to watch.
- Jordan Lawlar belted a curveball the other way for a ground rule double into the pool to lead off the third. He’s finally started to hit the ball with authority. In his whole career to this point, he’s only had 8 balls classified as Hard Hit (95mph EV). 3 of those were in his last game (Tuesday) and he just logged another on his first at bat tonight.
- Lawlar came home to score from third with 2 outs on a wild pitch by Boston’s young starter.
- Ketel Marte tried to advance from first to third on a Domo single to shallow center. Ketel had to slide wide of third as Bregman was waiting in front of the bag for the throw and Ketel overslid, his hand losing contact with the bag before he could gather himself and jump back to reach third. The umpire initially ruled Ketel safe, but the Red Sox challenged it was ruled that Bregman just barely gloved Ketel’s foot after he had slid off the bag. Situationally, it wasn’t great (2 outs, Corbin coming up), but I’m fine with the aggressiveness. He beat the tag initially, just didn’t execute the slide well.
- E-Rod really labored through the 3rd inning, throwing 32 pitches, but he gave up no runs thanks to stupendous defense from Blaze Alexander nailing the Red Sox runner trying to score from second on a single with 2 outs. Blaze made a throw to Gabi fully on the fly and right on target to get his first professional outfield assist.
- Ildemaro Vargas’ 3-run homer in the third left the bat at 112mph. It was the hardest hit ball of Vargas’ career according to Baseball Savant.
- After the long 3rd inning for Rodriguez, he bounced back with a quick 10-pitch inning in the 4th. Wasn’t technically a 1-2-3 inning, but he faced the minimum thanks to a GIDP erasing a 1-out walk.
- Geraldo Perdomo strung out another long at bat in the 4th, this one an 11-pitch job, which resulted in a 2-out single he fisted into right field.
- The Diamondbacks loaded the bases with no outs in the 5th, but only got one run out of it on a sacrifice fly from Lawlar than chased the Red Sox left fielder to the warning track. Locklear and Barrosa struck out and grounded out to end the scoring opportunity.
- Through 3 innings, Eduardo Rodriguez had thrown 65 pitches and had allowed 1 ER but was significantly helped with that by Blaze’s gun down of a Red Sox runner at home. It didn’t feel like E-Rod would be long for this game, but lo and behold, he finished the next 3 innings with a total 31 pitches and he only faced 1 hitter over the minimum to do it.
- The Rattle of the lineup put runners at first and third for Ketel and Domo in the 8th to potentially add some insurance for whoever walked out the bullpen door in the 9th, and Domo came through with 2 outs for his 4th hit of the game. Then Corbin came through with a 3-run missile. With the 5-run lead back intact, it’s good to remember that it all started with the Rattle.
Comment of the Game
Another engaged Friday night GDT with 338 comments at time of publishing. COTG will be awarded to Jim tonight with the most rec’d comment of the game immediately following Corbin’s homer:
Coming Up
The Diamondbacks face the Red Sox in the second game of this interleague series tomorrow with first pitch at 5:10pm Arizona time. Brandon Pfaadt is the scheduled starter for the good guys and he will be opposed by right-hander Lucas Giolito who is 10-2 with a 3.38 ERA on the year. Can we secure another series win against a playoff team tomorrow night?
