Sedona Red Recap: D-backs’ walk-off in home finale feels like deja vu

PHOENIX — Even Diamondbacks outfielder David Peralta couldn’t overlook the parallels.

Arizona’s 2017 season opened at Chase Field with a walk-off win over the Giants. On Wednesday with San Francisco back in town, Peralta eyed a 3-1 pitch with the bases loaded and an out in the ninth. He decided it was just outside the zone.

It was, and the walk scored the game-winning run as the D-backs closed their 2017 home schedule with a 4-3 win.

“Well, you know what, it means something,” Peralta said when asked if there was symbolism to be found in the walk-offs to start the year, to clinch a postseason berth on Sunday and, finally, to wrap the Chase Field regular season schedule. “It means something for us.”

Until the ninth inning, it felt like the Diamondbacks were content to call it a year. Arizona trailed 3-1 before the hero of the second half of the season, J.D. Martinez, led off with a solo home run. His 16th of September tied him with Ralph Kiner’s mark set in 1949 for the most homers in the month.

“It’s cool, it’s awesome,” Martinez said. “It’s definitely a great accomplishment, I’m flattered. It’s humbling, but I don’t really like to get caught up in that stuff.”

Manager Torey Lovullo said his team seemed to “wait out the moment” as Arizona starter Braden Shipley allowed three earned runs in 3.1 innings. The bullpen held strong, and that allowed the D-backs to use Jake Lamb’s solo homer in the fifth inning as enough offense to stay within striking distance.

“We might’ve been flat in the middle innings, but I think that home run in the ninth inning by J.D. really got us moving in the right direction,” Lovullo said. “It’s just a really, really good ninth inning for me, for things that really don’t mean much outside of the win.”

Down by a run, Arizona followed Martinez’s historic home run with a Lamb single, and he was replaced by pinch-runner Kristopher Negron.

A.J. Pollock then singled before Daniel Descalso reached on a fielder’s choice that saw the Giants tag Negron out at home. The D-backs’ risky double-steal of third and second led to San Francisco intentionally walking Jeremy Hazelbaker, and that’s when John Ryan Murphy reached on a fielder’s choice to allow Pollock to score from third, tying the game 3-3.

Then came Peralta’s game-winning take to push Descalso across home.

Of course, all that was sparked by Martinez’s history-tying shot.

“Unbelievable. Told him, ‘hey, you have four at-bats without a home run.’ Boom. Next at-bat, he hits a home run,” Peralta said.

THE GOOD

– Giants starter Jeff Samardzija’s low fastball to Lamb on an 0-2 count flew over the right-field wall for a solo home run that pulled Arizona within 3-1 to lead off the bottom of the fifth.

– The D-backs’ Anthony Banda came out of the bullpen to pitch 1.2 innings, where he recorded a strikeout, plus allowed a hit and no runs.

– Arizona relievers Andrew Barrett (2.0 innings, one hit, two strikeouts), Andrew Chafin (1.1 innings, no hits, two strikeouts) and J.J. Hoover (0.2 innings) closed out the scoreless performance from the bullpen.

– Replacing the Giants’ Mac Williamson, who was hit by a Shipley pitch and pulled in the sixth frame, Gorkys Hernandez lined a ball to Peralta in left field. At second base, Crawford got caught edging toward third, and Peralta gunned him down off the bag to complete a double-play and end the inning.

– Before hitting a game-tying RBI in the ninth, Murphy, who the D-backs acquired from the Twins before the trade deadline, recorded his first hit of his Arizona career with a lead-off double in the bottom of the sixth.

THE BAD

– A lead-off triple by Denard Span, a walk of Joe Panik and an RBI double by Pablo Sandoval began the first inning for Shipley before Brandon Crawford’s groundout gave the Giants a second run after the top of the first in which Shipley threw 34 pitches.

– Span doubled in his second at-bat, then scored on a Sandoval double in the top of the third to give San Francisco a 3-0 lead.

– Lovullo pulled Shipley after 3.1 innings after the pitcher had allowed four hits — all of the extra-base variety — three earned runs, two walks while striking out two. Shipley needed 79 pitches to get there.

– Lamb lost the ball after scooping up a grounder toward him at third in the sixth frame, allowing Nick Hundley to reach base and Crawford to find second. He was tagged with the error, but Barrett worked out of the inning.

STAT OF THE GAME

9: The walk-off was the ninth walk-off via a walk in franchise history and the ninth walk-off of 2017.

HE SAID IT

“I know that he felt like there was a crease there and something that could open up. Taking a big chance. You know, you got to take a chance at the right time and execute it the right way.” — Torey Lovullo on first base coach Dave McKay calling for a double-steal in the ninth

NOTED

– Giants pitcher Matt Cain announced before the Wednesday game that his final start of 2017 this Saturday will be his last as an MLB player. The D-backs announced his retirement after the top of the first frame, and Cain tipped his cap to the crowd.

– Going 45-31 against the NL West tied the 2001 World Series-winning team for most wins against division rivals in franchise history.

– The 52 wins at home ties the 1999 club for second-most in club history.

– The 121 homers at Chase Field set a franchise mark, and the team’s 215 homers are one shy of reaching the record set in 1999.

UP NEXT

A day off Thursday will be followed by a Friday game at the Kansas City Royals to begin a three-game series, the final one of 2017.

Zack Greinke (17-6, 3.18 ERA) will start the game as a final tune-up before a Wednesday NL Wild Card battle five days later that he is expected to start. As the D-backs attempt to get all of their starting pitchers some work before a week ahead that will include a lone game, starter Patrick Corbin could possibly piggy-back the ace and come out of the bullpen.

Former Arizona pitcher Ian Kennedy (4-13, 5.50 ERA) is set to start on the mound for the Royals.

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