Diamondbacks’ Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hits go-ahead home run to beat Cardinals

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a three-run home run to pull his team ahead in a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Chase Field on Saturday.

Ryne Nelson picked up the win after giving up just one run in six innings, and Kevin Ginkel got the save after throwing a clean ninth inning.

Gurriel had teammates Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll on the bases, and his first home run since the third game of the season brought them home.

#PiñaPower for the lead! 🍍 pic.twitter.com/bTk92baZZJ

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) April 14, 2024

Marte hit a double before Carroll worked an 0-2 count for a walk. Then, Cardinals pitcher Kyle Gibson threw two more balls to start Gurriel’s at-bat before he took a fourth-pitch sinker the distance.

Gurriel started his season with three home runs in three games, but each of his 11 hits since had stayed in the park. He tallied eight RBIs in the first three games but seven in the 10 games that followed.

The homer into left field on Saturday gave him three more to match Cincinnati’s Spencer Steer for the NL lead with 18 RBIs.

Gurriel also appeared to replicate Alek Thomas’ home-run celebration as he trotted around the bases from when Thomas tied the game in the eighth inning of Game 4 of the 2023 NLCS.

It was Thomas t-shirt night at Chase Field, commemorating the aforementioned home run from Gurriel’s outfield mate.

.@yunitogurriel doing the @athomas22 celly from Game 4 of the NLCS the night of the Alek Thomas Tee giveaway is ELITE behavior. pic.twitter.com/9AwRFIMn3B

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) April 14, 2024

The outfielder nearly went yard on his second at-bat of the game, taking a first-pitch sinker to the warning track on the same side of the field as the home run that came later.

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