David Peralta’s power surge continues in five-run first inning for D-backs
Aug 16, 2018, 8:06 PM | Updated: 10:41 pm
Arizona Diamondbacks' David Peralta makes contact for an RBI single during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Monday, Aug. 13, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. Daniel Descalso scored on the play. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade)
(AP Photo/Brandon Wade)
Arizona Diamondbacks left fielder David Peralta seems to be getting back on track to a career 2015 season.
Three years ago, the left-hander hit .312 with 17 home runs and 78 RBI.
While dealing with injuries the next two seasons, Peralta only hit 18 home runs in a combined 188 games, hitting .283.
In 2018, though, he is back to that form that put him on the map as one of the best bats in a National League outfield.
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Peralta entered Thursday’s game against the San Diego Padres batting .299 with a career-high 21 home runs to go along with 61 RBI.
He bumped those totals to 22 and 64 in his first at-bat Thursday night, smashing a Jacob Nix fastball over the center field wall for a 3-0 D-backs lead.
BEAST MODE PERALTA!!! @DPFreightTrain6 crushes a 3-run shot and gives the @dbacks the early lead! pic.twitter.com/aN8rVZjpx2
— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) August 17, 2018
The damage being dealt continued for Arizona.
First baseman Paul Goldschmidt singled and third baseman Eduardo Escobar did the same to make it five straight hitters that had reached base to start the game. After second baseman Ketel Marte flew out, shortstop Nick Ahmed walked to load the bases for catcher Alex Avila.
Avila singled, bringing in two more runs to make it the latest five-run first inning for Arizona. The D-backs have scored five-plus runs in an inning 11 times this season and seven of those occurrences were in the first inning.
Among National League outfielders with at least 200 at-bats, Peralta is third in batting average and WAR, fourth in homers, seventh in OPS and eighth in RBI, per FanGraphs.
Those were all categories he was inside the top-10 of in that aforementioned 2015 season, except for home runs, which has added a new dynamic to Peralta’s game and the D-backs lineup as a whole.
