Sedona Red Recap: D-backs pick up slack to beat Padres on off-night for Greinke

PHOENIX — With Zack Greinke on the mound, the Arizona Diamondbacks like their chances. Even on what may be perceived as an off night, Greinke gives the D-backs good odds to win.

And they did again on Wednesday with Greinke pitching a season-low five innings.

Behind home runs by Jake Lamb and Brandon Drury, the D-backs beat the San Diego Padres for the second time in as many days, thus clinching the series victory with a 7-4 win in front of 22,079 at Chase Field.

It was the D-backs’ season-best eighth straight home win.

Greinke (8-3) earned his sixth win in his last seven starts, but it was a struggle.

The Padres scored once in each of the first, third and fifth innings, including a solo home run by Yangervis Solarte just two batters into the game. The first three runs were charged to Greinke, who allowed seven hits with one walk and eight strikeouts throwing 102 pitches. Only once did he have a clean inning.

Greinke, though, kept his team in the game and the offense responded, eventually.

Trailing 2-0 with two outs in the third inning, the D-backs scored five times off starter Luis Perdomo courtesy a three-run homer by Lamb, who leads the National League with 53 RBI, and a two-run homer by Drury.

The D-backs have homered in 11 straight home games.

Perdomo (0-3) went four innings, surrendering five runs on five hits with four walks and one strikeout. Two of his three losses have come at the hands of the D-backs.

Fernando Rodney was credited with his 15th save.

With the win, the D-backs improved to 8-1 in their last nine games against the Padres at Chase Field.

THE GOOD

Not until the 13th batter did the D-backs record their first hit. It was well worth the wait. Lamb, who had four RBI in the opener, clubbed a belt-high slider, clocked at 87-mph, several rows deep into the seats in right field for a three-run home run to give the D-backs a 3-2 lead with two outs in the third inning.

Staying in the third, after an infield single by Chris Owings, Drury blasted a 2-0 fastball, clocked at 92-mph, onto the concourse just left of the batter’s eye in straightaway center field for a 5-2 lead. Drury, who finished 1-for-3 with a walk, entered the game with the major’s second-best home batting average at .387.

Thanks to instant replay the D-backs padded their lead in the seventh inning. With one run already in, a second crossed home plate after Paul Goldschmidt was determined to have beaten the throw from right fielder Hunter Renfroe on a sacrifice fly by Owings. The review, issued by the manager’s challenge, lasted 2:01.

So how good are the D-backs at Chase Field this season? The last time they won eight straight at home was from July 6-24, 2012. At 23-8, they own the best home record in baseball, and they have now matched their best 31-game home start, which was established all the way back in season two of the franchise, 1999.

THE BAD

Before many had settled into their seats, the D-backs trailed 1-0. Solarte reached down in the zone and lined the game’s fourth pitch, an 0-2 slider clocked at 83-mph, down the right field line for a home run. It marked Solarte’s seventh hit, and first home run, in 25 career at-bats against Greinke.

Two innings later it was Solarte again as he made it 2-0 Padres with a two-out RBI single. However, it’s what happened in the at-bat prior that set up the run. Franchy Cordero hit what appeared to be a routine fly ball to right field, but David Peralta misplayed it and the ball went over his head for a triple.

Once again, Jorge De La Rosa failed to record a scoreless appearance — that’s now three straight outings. Called upon in the eighth inning, he allowed one run on three hits. It was a two-out single by Jose Pirela, who had three hits in only his second game since being selected from Triple-A El Paso.

STAT OF THE GAME

14: With three runs driven in, Lamb has 14 RBI in his last five games against the Padres and 17 RBI in 11 games this season.

HE SAID IT

“It wasn’t Zack-esque, for lack of a better term,” manager Torey Lovullo said, referring to his ace. “But, when you look up at the end of the day, he won the game, he held them to a couple of runs and it was a nice outing for Zack. Overall, I thought it was a really good outing for him.”

NOTED

– Greinke threw a first-pitch strike to 13-of-23 batters faced, plus reached a 3-ball count five times.

– Greinke is 6-0 with a 2.44 ERA (14 ER in 51.2 IP) in eight career home starts against the Padres.

– Rodney has not allowed an earned run in 12 consecutive outings; opponents are .057 (2-for-35).

– Lamb extended his hitting streak at home to 11 consecutive games, tying his career-best streak.

– Drury has now reached base safely in 39 of his last 41 games at Chase Field (.427; 64-for-150).

– Goldschmidt has now reached base safely in a career-high 34 consecutive games at Chase Field.

– With a first-pitch temperature of 106 degrees, both the roof and panels were closed for the game.

– Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Nils Lofgren of the E Street Band threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

UP NEXT

A pair of left-handers, Patrick Corbin and Clayton Richard, take the mound in the series finale on Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 12:40 p.m. with pregame coverage beginning 40 minutes earlier on 98.7 FM, Arizona’s Sports Station.

This will be Corbin’s 13th start, and here’s hoping 13 proves to be lucky.

Even since the calendar flipped to May, Corbin (4-6) has struggled, going 2-3 with a 9.00 ERA in six starts. Opponents are hitting .362 with 11 home runs against him during this stretch.

In his last two outings, he has allowed 12 earned runs over a combined nine innings.

The good news: Corbin owns a four-game winning streak at Chase Field, including a victory over the Padres on April 25 in which he held the visitors to two runs on eight hits in seven innings.

Meanwhile, Richard (4-6) is coming off a win against the Rockies.

Three starts ago, he beat the D-backs with a five-hit complete game effort in a 5-1 victory in which he struck out six and walked none.

Richard, who has induced a league-leading 140 ground balls this season, holds a 10-4 lifetime record in 16 games when facing the D-backs.

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