Grit Index: Corbin good enough, continues historic start in D-backs’ win
May 26, 2013, 11:34 PM | Updated: May 27, 2013, 12:06 am
The Arizona Diamondbacks took the final game of their weekend series against the San Diego Padres 6-5 Sunday. Starter Patrick Corbin wasn’t as sharp as he had been over his previous nine starts but it was enough to get the job done. He allowed seven hits, four runs, three earned in six-plus innings of work. He also walked two and recorded five strikeouts.
Corbin is just the third D-backs pitcher and the first left-hander to start the season 8-0. The others were Brandon Webb in 2006 and 2008 and Micah Owings in 2011. The Diamondbacks also have had success as a team when Corbin is on the mound. Overall, Arizona is 10-0 when he’s started in 2013. That’s the most consecutive team wins by a starter in club history.
As for the offense, Arizona got to San Diego right-hander Jason Marquis early. Veteran Martin Prado is starting to find his swing and recorded four hits to tie a career high. Prado now has back-to-back games with at least three hits for the seventh time in his career. The rest of the offense came from an Eric Chavez two-run homer in the first inning and a Corbin RBI single in the sixth. Chavez homered in back-to-back games for the first time since August 2012.
The bullpen closed out the game for the D-backs, helping Corbin secure his eighth win. Brad Ziegler, Matt Reynolds and Heath Bell took care of the seventh, eighth and ninth innings.
The Good
The D-backs are now 4-1 in their last five home games after struggling earlier in the season to get wins at Chase Field. They’re also 11-5 in series finales.
The Bad
Center fielder Gerardo Parra did not reach base Sunday as the lead-off hitter. He did record a sacrifice fly in the second inning and finished 0-for-4.
Sunday marked the first time in 2013 that starter Patrick Corbin gave up more than two earned runs in an outing.
He Said It
“He just had to work his way through it. Obviously it’s a different situation, he’s on a new team and probably puts some pressure on him to excel. I moved him all around and it’s just not as easy as it looks just cause you hit .290 or .300. It’s a tough business, it’s a tough deal. But to his credit, he’s worked his tail through it.” — Manager Kirk Gibson on the recent success of Martin Prado at the plate.
What’s Next?
The Diamdonbacks will host the Texas Rangers in a doubleheader Monday at Chase Field. The game one starter will be Tyler Skaggs and the game two starter is Trevor Cahill. Skaggs got the call-up after the club decided that Ian Kennedy could not pitch due to a cut on the index finger of his throwing hand. He cut the finger while washing a serrated knife at home. For Skaggs, in nine starts in Triple-A Reno, he went 4-5 with a 5.23 ERA. He entered 2013 as the D-backs’ top-ranked prospect by Baseball America and MLB.com. First pitch for game one is a 12:40 p.m. and game two is scheduled for 6:40 p.m.
