Sedona Red Recap: Descalso hits walk-off to push D-backs past Phillies in 11
Jun 25, 2017, 6:11 PM | Updated: 7:13 pm
Arizona Diamondbacks' Daniel Descalso, right, celebrates his game-winning walk off single against the Philadelphia Phillies with Chris Owings, left, as teammate Reymond Fuentes, left, looks on during the 11th inning of a baseball game Sunday, June 25, 2017, in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks defeated the Phillies 2-1. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
PHOENIX — The 2017 Arizona Diamondbacks continue to find ways to win.
The latest: An 11-inning, 2-1 victory over visiting Philadelphia in front of 28,179 at Chase Field on Sunday afternoon.
Daniel Descalso ripped to two-out single to right field to score Paul Goldschmidt from second base.
It was Descalso’s second walk-off hit of the season, and it gave the D-backs their second win in as many days against the Phillies.
The four-game series concludes Monday.
The D-backs are now 6-1 in extra-inning games.
While Descalso was the hero, he wouldn’t have been in position if it weren’t for the at-bat prior.
Chris Owings worked a walk off Edubray Ramos (0-7) in a 12-pitch battle in which Owings fouled off six two-strike pitches. He broke his bat after the fourth foul ball.
What a good at-bat by Owings to draw a walk on the 12th pitch and move Goldy into scoring position. pic.twitter.com/pSGGDEL1jH
— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) June 26, 2017
T.J. McFarland (4-1) earned the win, the sixth D-backs reliever used after starter Randall Delgado was lifted for a pinch-hitter.
Delgado deserved better. Making a spot start to give the regular starters an extra day of rest, Delgado pitched five shutout innings. He scattered four hits — three singles and a double — and walked one while striking out four.
Delgado was in line for the win before the bullpen surrendered the 1-0 advantage.
His counterpart, Jeremy Hellickson, was just as effective.
The former D-back went six innings. He allowed one run on three hits with no walks and seven strikeouts. His only blemish: Goldschmidt’s fourth-inning RBI single.
Six times now this season Hellickson has not factored in the decision. He has not won since May 19, seven starts ago.
At 48-28, the D-backs are 20-games above .500 for the first time this season. They’ve won 11 of 13 and 15 of 18; plus, they are 13-2 in their last 15 home games since May 15.
THE GOOD
Threat averted. After a leadoff double by Maikel Franco, Gregor Blanco and Delgado teamed up to make sure the D-backs exited the second inning without a run crossing home plate. First, Blanco made a run-saving, diving catch on a line drive hit by Odubel Herrera. Then, Delgado caught Franco napping, picking him off second base on a spin move and perfect throw to Nick Ahmed.
Run-saving diving catch by Gregor Blanco.
Stream the #Dbacks and #Phillies via FOX Sports GO: https://t.co/hBIUH3boCo pic.twitter.com/6NGHyufrPK
— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) June 25, 2017
The league’s top-RBI man added to his total in the fourth inning. After Ahmed led off with a double into the left-field corner, Goldschmidt grounded a 3-2 fastball clocked at 92-mph between the third baseman and shortstop for a base hit. Ahmed, who slightly hesitated approaching third, scored to put the D-backs ahead, 1-0. It was Goldschmidt’s 65th RBI of the season.
In his fourth at-bat of the game, Owings ripped a base hit up the middle. The two-out, ninth-inning single extended his hitting streak to 11 games, matching the longest such streak of his career (May 25-June 7, 2015). Owings had struck out twice and reached on a fielder’s choice in his first three plate appearances. The 11-gamer is the D-backs’ longest current hitting streak.
Two appearances, two scoreless efforts by Rubby De La Rosa since having his contract selected from Triple-A Reno on June 23. Called upon to pitch the sixth inning, De La Rosa stranded a two-out triple by striking out Tommy Joseph, who swung through an 86-mph slider. De La Rosa struck out a pair and has now fanned three of the five batters faced in 1.1 total innings.
THE BAD
You have to go all the way back to May 29 at Pittsburgh to find the last time Andrew Chafin was charged with an earned run. His 11-game scoreless streak ended thanks to a pinch-hit bloop single that landed just out of reach of a diving Brandon Drury in back of first base. Howie Kendrick recorded the hit off Archie Bradley to score Herrera with the tying run in the seventh inning.
Three of the five hits the Phillies had recorded through six innings of the game belonged to Aaron Altherr. He singled to left field in each of his first two plate appearances and then tripled in the sixth inning. It was his third three-hit game of the season; all have come here in the month of June. Altherr entered the day 3-for-9 with an RBI through the first two games of the series.
STAT OF THE GAME, part I
4: For the fourth time in his career, and the second time this season, Descalso delivered the walk-off hit.
STAT OF THE GAME, part II
16-7: The D-backs improved to 16-7 in one-run games, including a 7-2 mark in June.
HE SAID IT
“Great win for us,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “A team moment where I think everybody was a little bit fatigued; day game after a night game. I know there were some sluggish moments, but when we needed to step up we had somebody that gave us that little push in Daniel Descalso and got the big hit to help us win the game.”
NOTED
– Delgado threw a first-pitch strike to 13-of-18 batters plus reached a three-ball count five times.
– Goldschmidt has now reached base safely in a franchise-record 41 straight games at Chase Field.
– Bradley extended his scoreless streak to 12 straight games and has stranded 18 of 20 inherited runners.
– Fernando Rodney hasn’t allowed an earned run in 18 straight games and has a nine-game hitless streak.
– Regulars Jake Lamb and David Peralta were not in the starting lineup. They each pinch-hit.
– With a first-pitch temperature of 107 degrees, the game was played with the roof and panels closed.
– Our very own John Gambadoro threw out the ceremonial first pitch and threw a well-placed strike.
So this just happened@Dbacks @dperalta6 @AZSports @BurnsAndGambo @Gambo987 pic.twitter.com/9MsW5VqNv3
— Craig Grialou (@CraigAZSports) June 25, 2017
UP NEXT
The weekend wrap-around series concludes with a pair of right-handers taking the mound, Zack Greinke and Nick Pivetta, on Monday, June 26. First pitch is scheduled for 12:40 with pregame coverage beginning 40 minutes earlier on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.
Beaten in his last outing, suffering a 4-3 defeat at Colorado, Greinke (8-4) is riding a four-start home winning streak.
All-time against the Phillies, Greinke is 7-1 with a 2.54 ERA in 10 games, including nine starts.
Meanwhile, Pivetta (1-3) is winless in his last three starts, though he has pitched well recently. In his last two starts, both at home, he limited the Red Sox and Cardinals to a combined three runs on eight hits in 13 innings. Opponents are batting just .174 with 19 strikeouts.
Pivetta is making his first-ever appearance versus the D-backs.
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