Sedona Red Recap: Strong pitching allows D-backs to get walk-off win in 13 innings

PHOENIX, Ariz. — Resilient.

It’s a word used often by manager Torey Lovullo to describe the 2017 Arizona Diamondbacks, albeit only a month into the season.

After back-to-back losses to Colorado, moving the Rockies ahead of the D-backs atop the National League West, Lovullo’s team bounced back. And in dramatic fashion.

In the bottom of the 13th inning, Daniel Descalso hit a two-run homer into the pool to break the longest scoreless tie in Chase Field history.

The 2-0 victory helped the D-backs avoid the three-game series sweep and close out the homestand 6-4.

For Descalso, it was third career walk-off hit, first via the home run ball which ended the four-hour and two-minute marathon that saw many of the 23,613 fans still in attendance late Sunday afternoon.

Randall Delgado (1-0) earned the win with three innings of relief.

Jordan Lyles (0-1) suffered the loss, surrendering the home run on a 0-2 curveball.

It was the first extra-inning game for each team this season.

Both starters had exited well before the outcome and both pitched well.

Patrick Corbin was excellent.

Making his sixth start of the season, Corbin limited the Rockies to two hits over 6.1 shutout innings. He walked two and struck out six.

Corbin faced the minimum three batters four times and escaped a bases loaded, no-out jam in the fifth inning.

Corbin, who threw 99 pitches, 63 for strikes, recorded his fifth straight quality start.

The D-backs had zero success against German Marquez, a rookie making his second start of the season.

Marquez scattered six hits in six innings with one walk — it was intentional — and eight strikeouts. He allowed one runner past second base.

The D-backs finished April with 16 wins, their most since 2007.

THE GOOD

By striking out three of the first five batters of the game Corbin reached 500 strikeouts for his career, passing Wade Miley for sole possession of second place by a D-backs left-handed pitcher. Next up on that list is Randy Johnson, who is well ahead with 2,077 strikeouts. Corbin got former D-back Mark Reynolds to chase a 2-2 slider in the dirt for the milestone strikeout.

By singling in each of his first two at-bats, Paul Goldschmidt doubled his hit total in the series. He entered 1-for-6 with three walks. Goldschmidt, who made a great defensive play in the second inning, has now reached base safely in 33 consecutive games at Chase Field against the Rockies (.405; 49-for-121), the longest home streak in team history against one opponent.

Bases loaded and no outs, that’s the spot Corbin found himself in the fifth inning. He walked two and allowed a hit to Ian Desmond, who made his Rockies debut after being activated off the disabled list earlier. Corbin then retired the next three batters: infield fly, fielder’s choice and ground ball to leave the bases full. The only downside was Corbin threw 28 pitches.

It happened again. D-backs pitchers recorded at least 11 strikeouts for a seventh consecutive game, which is both a team and league mark. It’s also now one game shy of the major-league record set by the Indians from Sept. 16-23, 2014. Jorge De La Rosa struck out the side in the eighth inning with the third strikeout, a swing-and-miss by D.J. LeMahieu, counting as No.11.

Multi-hit efforts were rare on this day. Goldschmidt, Brandon Drury and A.J. Pollock each had two hits, but Descalso had three. Starting only his 10th game, fourth in left field, Descalso singled to lead off the second, singled with two outs in the 10th and then of course homered. The three hits exceeded his total on the homestand. He entered 2-for-16 with two walks.

THE BAD

Timely hitting. It eluded the D-backs in the first two games of the series (2-for-15 with runners in scoring position) and through the first four innings (0-for-4), specifically the first and fourth. In both instances a runner was left in scoring position: Goldschmidt was left stranded at third base in the first, while Drury didn’t advance past second base after a leadoff double in the fourth.

Making contact also proved problematic for the D-backs throughout the game. They struck out 13 times, reaching double figures for the first time in the series and 11th time this season. Marquez struck out the side in the second and twice struck out two batters, doing so in the fifth and sixth innings. It was Drury, caught looking to end the eighth inning, who put the D-backs into double figures.

Controversy in the bottom of the 10th inning. On base after a one-out pinch-hit single, Pollock was called out due to runners interference when he and LeMahieu collided as LeMahieu charged in on a ground ball hit by David Peralta. At first, second base umpire Toby Basner ruled no interference, but as Pollock stood on third base, the umpires huddled up and changed the call.

STAT OF THE GAME

2: The D-backs began and ended the month with walk-off wins.

HE SAID IT

“Wow. Great win, great win,” Lovullo said. “A team effort, I thought everybody at some point in time chipped in for the moment. Especially happy for Daniel Descalso who’s been grinding away at things. Against his former team to hit a walk-off home run, it was just a really exciting moment for all of us.”

NOTED

Corbin threw a first-pitch strike to 17-of-23 batters faced; plus, he reached a three-ball count four times.

Drury went 2-for-6; he has reached base safely in 13 of his last 14 home games, hitting .431 (22-for-51).

Goldschmidt went 2-for-5; he has reached base safely in 10 consecutive games, hitting .432 (16-for-37).

Peralta went 1-for-5 with a walk; he is hitting .468 (22-for-47) with five doubles, one home run, three RBI.

Pollock extended his hitting streak to six games; he has reached base safely in 14 consecutive games.

D-backs recognized Rockies pitcher and Valley resident Chad Bettis; he’s on his way back from cancer.

Phoenix Suns forward Jared Dudley was among those in attendance; he watched from the second deck.

With a first-pitch temperature of 81 degrees, the game was played with the roof open but panels closed.

UP NEXT

A trip to our nation’s capital.

The D-backs left immediately after the game for Washington D.C., where they’ll enjoy an off day on Monday and then begin a three-game set against the NL East-leading Nationals on Tuesday, May 2.

The series opener pits right-handers Taijuan Walker and Tanner Roark.

First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 with pregame coverage beginning 35 minutes earlier on ESPN Phoenix 620 AM.

Walker (3-1) is unbeaten in his last three starts, including a win in his most recent appearance. He pitched a season-high eight innings against the Padres in which he struck out a career-high tying 11 batters with no walks in a 6-2 victory.

Walker has never faced the Nationals.

Meanwhile, Roark (3-0) is coming a five-inning outing at Colorado, earning the win by allowing two runs on five hits with four walks and four strikeouts. He has not given up more than three earned runs in any start this season.

Roark is 1-1 with a 2.51 ERA in seven career appearances, including four starts, all-time against the D-backs.

Follow @CraigAZSports