Corbin tosses complete-game shutout, allows one hit in D-backs home win

PHOENIX — It’s safe to say Patrick Corbin’s feeling pretty good on the mound right now.

Arizona’s Opening Day starter entered Tuesday’s game against San Francisco with a borderline dominant stat line of 29 strikeouts over 18.1 innings, to go with a 2-0 record, 2.45 ERA and 0.93 WHIP.

Good numbers. And he improved on all of them at Chase Field on Tuesday night.

In fact, Corbin came as close to a no-hitter as possible, going the distance while allowing just the one blemish – an infield single on a check swing by Brandon Belt with two outs in the eighth – as the Diamondbacks edged the Giants 1-0 in front of 19,669 fans.

Corbin was untouchable all night, routinely keeping San Francisco hitters off balance while throwing just 100 total pitches over the full nine innings. Even Belt likely wouldn’t have singled if not for the shift Arizona was employing that had Daniel Descalso positioned far from his normal spot near third base.

And the Diamondbacks needed everything Corbin gave them because Johnny Cueto was nearly as effective on the mound for the Giants. The 32-year old righty fanned 11 over seven shutout innings, lowering his ERA to a minuscule 0.45 for the season.

Arizona pounced in the eighth, though, picking up the only run of the game following Cueto’s exit. After Jarrod Dyson walked, Corbin bunted him over to second and David Peralta brought him home with a single up the middle off reliever Tony Watson.

With the win, the Diamondbacks are now 3-1 against the Giants in 2018, and 12-4 overall.

THE GOOD

– The infield shift paid off in the third, with Descalso making a diving play past second base to get to a sharply hit grounder and throw Belt out at first.

– Corbin was efficient all game. He used just 61 pitches to get through six frames, 73 to get through seven and, ultimately, the 100 to go the distance.

– A.J. Pollock made a diving catch on a well-hit ball by Buster Posey to keep the score 0-0 and preserve the no-hit bid through seven innings.

– After striking out in his first three at-bats, Peralta pulled it together to drive in the game’s only run with two down in the bottom of the eighth.

THE BAD

– There wasn’t much bad in this game, at least not when Arizona was in the field. At the plate, though, the D-backs managed just three hits while striking out 12 times.

STAT OF THE GAME

1: Hits allowed by Corbin. This was an easy choice tonight.

HE SAID IT

“They kind of just left me alone. Which is fine, we don’t talk much anyway – starters with guys when we’re pitching. Unless you’re Zack Godley. It’d be pretty funny if he had one going. I think he’d get louder.” – Patrick Corbin, on teammates not talking to him during the no-hit bid.

NOTED

-With both starters on cruise control, the entire game lasted just two hours and five minutes.

UP NEXT

These two clubs will meet again at Chase Field on Wednesday. Robbie Ray takes the mound for the Diamondbacks, while the Giants counter with Chris Stratton. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. with pregame coverage beginning at 6:00 p.m. on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.

Ray (2-0) hasn’t really found his groove yet this season, but Arizona is 3-0 in games he’s started anyway. His 5.74 ERA and 1.60 WHIP through 15.2 innings look nothing like the 2.89 ERA and 1.14 WHIP he put up in 2017 but, then again, it’s only been 15.2 innings. He was touched up by San Francisco for three runs over 4.2 innings on April 11.

Stratton (1-1) has been solid through his first three starts, posting a 2.60 ERA while facing the Dodgers twice and the Padres once. In his most recent outing, he allowed just one hit while tossing seven shutout innings in San Diego on April 12. The 27-year old righty is 1-1 with a 3.18 ERA in three career starts against the D-backs.

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