Paul Goldschmidt powers D-backs to 11-7 win over Reds
Aug 22, 2015, 9:05 PM
Arizona Diamondbacks' Paul Goldschmidt, right, and Jake Lamb congratulate each other after defeating the Cincinnati Reds 11-7 in a baseball game in Cincinnati, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2015. (AP Photo/Tom Uhlman)
(AP Photo/Tom Uhlman)
CINCINNATI — Paul Goldschmidt couldn’t identify a particular reason for his home run drought.
He also couldn’t figure out how he was able to snap it.
Goldschmidt hit a pair of two-run homers, Ender Inciarte homered and drove in three runs and the Arizona Diamondbacks held on for an 11-7 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night.
Goldschmidt, who hadn’t homered since July 27, had the seventh multihomer game of his career and finished with four hits and three runs.
“That’s just kind of how the game goes,” Arizona’s first baseman said. “Stuff comes in spurts. I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. I was just trying to get to feeling good and get in a good position to swing.”
The Diamondbacks matched last season’s total of 31 road wins while sending the Reds to their eighth consecutive loss — one shy of matching the team’s longest of the season.
All-Star center fielder A.J. Pollock followed his back-to-back, four-hit games by going 3 for 5 and scoring two runs. Chris Owings went 3 for 4 to improve to 8 for 12 over the first three games of the four-game series.
Zack Godley (4-0) allowed one run in 3 2-3 relief innings for the win. Daniel Hudson got the final two outs for his second save.
“(Godley) did a great job,” manager Chip Hale said. “He always does. His ball moves all over the place.”
Inciarte hit the first pitch of the game for a home run, his fourth of the season and first career leadoff homer. Goldschmidt followed two batters later with a two-run shot, his 23rd of the season.
“He does so many good things for us that it’s hard to take him out of the lineup,” Hale said.
Todd Frazier got the Reds on the board with an RBI single in the first, and after Pollock scored on a double-play ball in the third for a 4-1 lead, Jay Bruce produced a two-run double and scored on Brennan Boesch’s double for a 4-all tie, knocking Randall Delgado out of the game.
Delgado, making his first start since last Sept. 11, allowed six hits and four runs with two walks and two strikeouts in 2 1-3 innings.
“We did a nice job of coming back but they did what we’ve talked about all season,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “They added on and got that separation.”
The Diamondbacks reached Reds starter Anthony DeSclafani for 10 hits and six runs in five innings. DeSclafani (7-9) finished with no walks and four strikeouts.
“I wanted to break the losing streak,” DeSclafani said. “This wasn’t what I had planned. I just want to finish the season strong.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: INF Phil Gosselin went 2 for 5 with an RBI on Friday during his rehab assignment with Visalia of the Single-A California League. Gosselin, on the DL since May 18 with a fractured left thumb, is 9 for 32 (.281) with a double, two home runs and six RBIs in eight games with Visalia and the rookie-level Arizona League D-Backs.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks: RHP Chase Anderson (5-5, 4.51), optioned to Triple-A Reno on Tuesday before getting a reprieve and being recalled on Thursday when right-hander Jeremy Hellickson was placed on the 15-day disabled list, starts Sunday’s four-game series finale.
