Losing streak over: Greinke, Goldschmidt lead the way for D-backs

PHOENIX — Leave it to Zack Greinke and Paul Goldschmidt to put a stop to the Arizona Diamondbacks’ four-game losing streak.

Because who else do you want but your two best players to lead the team back in the win column.

Greinke pitched into the seventh inning and Goldschmidt hit a three-run home run to rally the D-backs past the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-2, evening the three-game series, in front of an announced crowd of 25,843 at Chase Field on Tuesday.

The victory also snapped a season-high six-game home losing streak.

Aside from a hiccup in the second inning, when the Cardinals scored both of their runs, Greinke (9-5) was as expected, and more importantly, as needed.

Following poor performances by fellow starters Shelby Miller, Zack Godley and Robbie Ray, Greinke delivered a quality outing, allowing two runs — halting a 14.0-inning scoreless streak — on seven hits with one walk and four strikeouts in 6.2 innings. He’s now earned a win in each of his last four starts, his longest such streak of the season.

Once Greinke exited, the bullpen trio of Yoshihisa Hirano, Archie Bradley and Brad Boxberger finished it off with Boxberger nailing down his 20th save.

In addition to the home run, his 19th of the season, Goldschmidt also singled. Jake Lamb had two hits as well, while David Peralta added a sacrifice fly, which initially handed the D-backs a 1-0 lead.

All four D-backs runs were charged to starter Jack Flaherty (3-4).

The D-backs go for the series win on Wednesday.

THE GOOD

A pair of soft singles sandwiched around a walk resulted in the D-backs first run of the game. And it all happened with two outs in the first inning. Lamb hit a shallow fly ball that dropped into center field, A.J. Pollock drew a six-pitch walk and Peralta fisted a 2-0 inside fastball into left field for a run-scoring single. It was Peralta’s 46th RBI, breaking a tie with Goldschmidt for team-high honors.

Of course four innings later Goldschmidt re-took the RBI lead from Peralta. His three-run home run pushed his total to 48, and more importantly put the D-backs in front once again, 4-2. It was Goldschmidt’s 19th homer of the season in one of the more impressive at-bats of the game. A strikeout victim his first two times against Flaherty, Goldschmidt fell behind 0-2 before hitting a 2-2 slider the opposite way, over the right-field fence.

One pitch. That was the extent of Hirano’s night. He got Tommy Pham to bite on an 83.5 mph slider and Pham grounded the ball to Lamb who stepped on third base to force out Kolten Wong to end the seventh inning. Hirano now has extended his franchise-record scoreless streak to 26 games, covering 22.2 innings. It’s the longest active streak in the Majors and tied for the second-longest ever by a Japanese-born pitcher.

THE BAD

It’s called a shutdown inning, and Greinke was unable to deliver in the second inning. The Cardinals opened the frame with three straight hits with Yairo Munoz highlighting the run with a line drive single to left field plating Yadier Molina to tie the game at 1. Wong followed hitting Greinke’s next pitch, a changeup, into center field for a sacrifice fly giving the Cardinals their first lead, 2-1.

Initially ruled a home run, the umpires reviewed Lamb’s eighth-inning hard-hit ball and saw that a fan had reached into the field of play. (A review that lasted 1:36). Fan interference was called, thus turning the play into a ground-rule double. Lamb went back to second base and Goldschmidt to third base. Meanwhile, the fan, who dropped the ball despite wearing a glove, was escorted out of the ballpark.

STAT OF THE GAME

63.2: Greinke struck out Munoz on a 63.2 mph eephus for the second out in the seventh inning, the fifth-slowest strikeout pitch in the Majors this season according to Stat Cast

HE SAID IT

“Obviously a much-needed win,” Torey Lovullo said. “After four consecutive losses, you’re kind of grinding away at things and these guys just stay tough all game long and the pitchers really stood on their stuff when they had to.”

NOTED

Greinke threw a first-pitch strike to 14 of the 27 batters faced; in addition, he reached a 3-ball count three times.

Goldschmidt finished 2-for-4 and is now batting .413 (43-for-104) with 11 homers and 28 RBI in his last 26 games.

Peralta finished 1-for-4 and is now batting .322 (39-for-121) with eight homers and 25 RBI in his last 31 games.

Lamb went 2-for-4 and has now hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games, batting .348 (16-for-46) with three doubles.

Bradley pitched a perfect eighth inning, his 17th scoreless outing in his last 18 appearances (1 ER in 16.0 IP).

With a first-pitch temperature of 106 degrees, the game was played with both the roof and the panels closed.

Barrett Hayton, the No. 5 overall pick of the Coyotes in the 2018 NHL Draft, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

UP NEXT

The series concludes with Patrick Corbin taking the mound looking for his first win since June 5 and first home win since late April. He’ll be opposed by right-hander Miles Mikolas in game three of the three-game set on Wednesday, July 4. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 with pregame coverage beginning 40 minutes earlier on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.

Corbin (6-3) has pitched well in each of his last two starts yet has not factored in the decision. His numbers are impressive: one run allowed over 13.0 innings (0.69 ERA) with a .156 opponent average (7-for-45) and 17 strikeouts. And that’s been with Jeff Mathis behind the plate. Lovullo said Tuesday those two will continue to work together.

Meanwhile, Mikolas (8-3) suffered a tough-luck loss in a quality start against the Braves last Friday in St. Louis. He gave up just one run, losing a shutout in the seventh inning, but lowered his ERA to 2.61.

Run support has been somewhat of an issue for Mikolas in recent weeks. That June 29th outing marked the fourth time in his previous six starts in which he received one run or fewer of support, and as a result, he’s gone 2-3 with one no-decision.

Mikolas will be making his first career start against the D-backs.

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