Grit Index: Another walk-off propels Diamondbacks to sweep of Orioles
Aug 15, 2013, 1:42 AM | Updated: 1:44 am
PHOENIX — So the Arizona Diamondbacks needed walk-off heroics from Aaron Hill to beat the Baltimore Orioles Wednesday afternoon.
Yawn.
The second-baseman’s one-out single up the middle in the bottom of the 14th inning propelled the D-backs to a 5-4 victory, giving them a three-game series sweep as well as their third walk-off win in as many games, pushing their record to 62-57 in the process.
In typical D-backs fashion, this one was not easy.
Arizona ace Patrick Corbin got roughed up a bit in the second inning, as the Orioles strung together hits by Taylor Teagarden and Brian Roberts, with Teagarden and Roberts scoring on a Nick Markakis single before Manny Machado launched a two-run home run into the left field bleachers.
The inning erased a 1-0 D-backs’ lead earned on Matt Davidson’s first career Major League RBI, and Arizona trailed until knotting things up in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI single by Hill.
From there, the teams’ respective bullpens traded zeros, with Arizona’s J.J. Putz, Joe Thatcher, Brad Ziegler, Josh Collmenter and Heath Bell tossing five innings of shutout baseball en route to the win.
The Good
Though Corbin allowed four runs in the second inning, he managed to last until the seventh for Arizona. Given the amount of use the team’s ‘pen has gotten this series — and seeing where things went Wednesday — his effort proved to be huge.
Like Paul Goldschmidt the night before, Hill drove in both the tying and winning runs.
Following the four-run second inning, D-backs pitchers combined to throw 12 straight scoreless frames.
The Bad
Each team had good chances to win this game long before the 14th inning; the clubs combined to leave 22 men on base.
Though he wasn’t great against Baltimore, Corbin has now gone four straight starts without recording a win.
Noted
Three pitchers were used as pinch-hitters in the game, as Randall Delgado (10th), Wade Miley (13th) and Scott Feldman (14th) all received at-bats.
He said it
“I don’t understand the dirt bath thing. I really don’t. You know, the dirt, the rosin bag, the spit, and whatever else comes at you. I don’t know where that came from, but it’s like hey, it means we won a ballgame so I’ll take it every time.” – Second baseman Aaron Hill on the team’s new walk-off tradition
Up Next
The D-backs have Thursday off before starting a three-game series in Pittsburgh with the Pirates. Right-hander Brandon McCarthy (2-6, 4.73 ERA) will take the hill for Arizona, and he’ll be opposed by Pirates rookie Gerrit Cole (5-5, 3.95 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 p.m., and the game can be heard on Arizona Sports 620.
