Sedona Red Recap: D-backs knock off Kluber to sweep Indians, reach 6-1 mark

PHOENIX — A baseball team can’t make the playoffs in April. But it can certainly dig itself a hole too big to crawl out of.

We saw that last year with the Arizona Diamondbacks, who stumbled out of the gates amid lofty expectations and ultimately fell completely flat. This year, a similar roster entered the season with much more modest expectations. So the goal for this first homestand was simple: surprise some people with a strong start.

How’s 6-1 sound?

That’s something the D-backs had only done once in franchise history prior to Sunday, and it represents the best record in baseball right now. What’s more, two of those six wins came while staring down Madison Bumgarner and Corey Kluber.

Those are two of the top hurlers in the majors, yet Arizona has found a way past both of them in the first week of the season. Facing Kluber on Sunday, the D-backs used timely hitting, savvy baserunning and strong pitching to manufacture a 3-2 win in front of 30,191 fans at Chase Field.

Manager Torey Lovullo’s group scored the opening run of a game for the first time this season, stringing together three singles in a row with two outs in the fourth inning, to go up 1-0. Chris Owings and Daniel Descalso then pulled off the double-steal, forcing a throwing error that allowed Owings to score from second.

Owings wasn’t done. The 25-year-old shortstop launched an 0-2 Kluber pitch into the seats in left-center to extend Arizona’s lead to 3-0 in the sixth. By the time the game ended, Owings had piled up three hits, two runs, an RBI, a homerun and two steals. Not a bad day’s work.

Meanwhile, Patrick Corbin rebounded in a big way on the mound, scattering four hits over six innings of shutout baseball. Archie Bradley chipped in two innings of impressive middle relief, and Fernando Rodney slammed the door in the ninth for his second save.

To be fair, that ninth inning had its fair share of drama. The leadoff runner reached base on an error, then scored to trim the D-backs’ lead to 3-2. Carlos Santana then drilled one all the way to the wall, but David Peralta was able to haul it in. Just a few more feet and Arizona would’ve been trailing 4-3.

“That’s what makes this game so great,” Lovullo said afterward. “Moments like that where your heart stops, you’re up, you’re down and you end up winning the game. Nothing’s better.”

THE GOOD

Brandon Drury saved a run in the fourth with a diving stop on a sharply hit ball up the middle by Jose Ramirez. He flipped the ball to Owings, who was covering second base on the play for the out. Up next, Yandy Diaz grounded out to end the inning, stranding Francisco Lindor on third and keeping the score even at 0-0.

For a team that has been relying heavily on its bats, it was nice to see the pitching come through and show that this group can win games in different ways.

THE BAD

Cleveland’s first run came via an Arizona miscue in the seventh. With runners on first and second and no one out, Austin Jackson grounded into a potential double play. The D-backs appeared to get the runner heading to second, but a video review showed Owings never actually touched the bag for the force out. Worse yet, he threw wide of first, allowing the lead runner to score. Two errors were assessed to him on the play.

Cleveland catcher Yan Gomes reached second to start off the ninth inning courtesy of a throwing error by Jake Lamb. He came around to score two batters later.

STAT OF THE GAME

20: games in a row that Arizona will now play against NL West teams.

HE SAID IT

“We’ve got a great group of guys in here. Everyone’s kind of pulling on the same rope and moving in the right direction. And it’s a fun time to be a Diamondback.” – Archie Bradley

NOTED

– Peralta ran into — and subsequently over — the wall while trying to catch a Gomes pop up in foul territory down the right field line. He was able to stay in the game though.

– There were three video reviews in the top of the seventh inning.

UP NEXT

The Diamondbacks will hit the road to begin a 10-game trip through California, beginning Monday in San Francisco. They’ll also hit Los Angeles and San Diego before returning home on April 21.

First pitch on Monday is set for 1:35 p.m. with pregame coverage beginning at 1 on ESPN Phoenix 620. Taijuan Walker is expected to get the start for Arizona, opposed by Matt Moore.

Walker (1-0) was far from dominant in his first outing of the season, but he gave his team a chance to win,  which they took advantage of. He surrendered four runs over six innings against the Giants on April 5 but struck out seven and managed to pick up the victory. He’s now 2-0 with a 3.46 ERA in two career starts against San Francisco.

Moore (0-1) took the loss in that same game against Walker, allowing six runs over 5.1 innings. Only three of them were actually earned, but it was still enough to drop the 27-year old lefty to 2-2 in four career starts against the Diamondbacks.

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