Diamondbacks swept by Astros after Christian Walker’s go-ahead knock

PHOENIX — Christian Walker delivered the game-winning RBI single in the ninth inning against his former club on Wednesday, as the Houston Astros completed a three-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field, 4-3.

The Diamondbacks came back from down 3-1 entering the eighth inning to tie the game, but an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded left too much meat on the bone.

Back-to-back bunt singles to lead off the ninth inning — the Astros recorded five bunt singles during this series — set the table for Walker against Kevin Ginkel. Walker punched a ground ball up the middle, scoring Zack Short from second.

Josh Hader entered a third straight game to close it out for Houston, and after a two-out single from Geraldo Perdomo, Hader struck out Ketel Marte looking at a pitch outside the zone to end the series.

The Diamondbacks dropped to 50-53 on the season, still trailing a postseason spot by 5.5 games. The D-backs failed to take advantage of San Diego, currently holding the final Wild Card spot, losing two games against Miami.

They have six games remaining before the trade deadline on July 31.

“ I don’t feel great,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “I wish we had done more in this series. I’ve been saying to you, a team doing what we’re doing, it isn’t anything I’ve ever thought we would be doing, especially after winning three games against the St. Louis Cardinals. It stinks. We put ourselves in this position. We gotta keep fighting.”

“That’s not what we were expecting,” starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt said. “We swept the Cardinals and we felt like we were in a good spot to take off. Then we got swept.”

After an offensive malaise following Marte’s lead-off home run in the first inning, the Diamondbacks mounted a rally in the eighth inning against the Houston bullpen.

Perdomo roped his third of four hits in this game into the left-field corner for a double. Marte singled to right and Corbin Carroll hit a double into the right-field corner.

Third base coach Shaun Larkin held Marte at third to avoid a play at the plate, while Carroll had to stop and retreat to second.

“I am watching it from a dugout spot and I don’t know the official answer,” Lovullo said. “I just know we have to be very careful with Ketel. … We’ve talked about it pregame and talked about who we gotta guard and take care of and Ketel is on that list.”

With the bases loaded and one out, Josh Naylor dropped a high pop fly into no-man’s land for a game-tying single. The rally ended with a Randal Grichuk double play.

There were ugly moments for the Diamondbacks that cost them earlier, particularly the sixth inning.

Pfaadt shut out the Astros through five frames, but back-to-back doubles from Walker and Yainer Diaz set Houston up. A Perdomo error cost the Diamondbacks an out as Walker scored, and a wild pitch from reliever Andrew Saalfrank that went through the legs of catcher James McCann brought home the go-ahead run.

The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, struggled to do damage against Houston starter Brandon Walter, a 28-year-old southpaw making his ninth career MLB start. Walter threw seven innings with one earned run.

Pfaadt finished with 5.1 innings and two earned runs.

Christian Walker comments on his Chase Field return

Walker, who spent eight years with the D-backs, returned as a visitor for the first time this week after signing with Houston.

He went 6-for-14 in the series with two doubles.

“It’s great to see everybody,” Walker told reporters in the away clubhouse. “I feel like I’m very much locked in on what we got going on in this clubhouse right now. It’s obviously good to be in the ballpark. Good to play in front of the fans again. I felt like everything was great. My heart feels full after coming to a series like this and chatting it up with everybody.”

Up next for the Diamondbacks

The D-backs get Thursday off before starting a nine-game road trip on Friday at PNC Park. Ryne Nelson (3.52 ERA) will pitch against Pirates right-hander Mike Burrows (4.70).

First pitch is at 3:40 p.m. MST on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app. 

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