Sedona Red Recap: D-backs get best of Marlins ace Jose Fernandez

PHOENIX — A potential special night for Miami Marlins ace Jose Fernandez turned into an Arizona Diamondbacks 5-3 win in the second of three games at Chase Field Saturday night.

Fernandez carried a perfect game into the sixth inning with two outs when Michael Bourn turned on a 96 miles per hour fastball, sending it into the right-field seats, and cutting Miami’s lead to 2-1.

It was Bourn’s first long ball since playing for the Cleveland Indians in 2014.

“To be honest with you I’m never thinking about hitting a home run,” Bourn said. “I usually just run into’em, it has been a while. I had a goose egg last year, I was like, man, I ain’t ever had goose egg ever in my career and I had a goose egg. I was able to get one and it felt good.”

One ended up becoming four as the Arizona bats continued to make quality contact off Fernandez — Jake Lamb smoked an RBI double that scored Jean Segura from first, Paul Goldschmidt sent Lamb home with a single and David Peralta’s one-run triple capped the onslaught.

“Me and Goldy were actually talking after that inning, it’s probably the best half inning we’ve had all year,” Lamb said. “I was kind of joking when that inning started I leaned over to Archie (Bradley) and said hey, he’s got a perfect game going. It was kind of that vibe in the dugout and it was kind of nice to get it out. We get two outs and Bourny hits that big homer.”

Between Fernandez’s early brilliance there were signs the D-backs were going to be able to get to him:

Dbacks have hit five balls with exit velocities of 90 mph or harder, but Jose Fernandez has retired each of the nine batters he has faced.

— Nick Piecoro (@nickpiecoro) June 12, 2016

“We think of it as a positive,” Hale said about the hard-hit balls that didn’t fall in. “We knew what we were going to do. We knew that was our gameplan and going in was not to just sit there and take pitches and try to get him out the game. He was aggressive with his fastball.”

THE GOOD

Zack Godley put together a solid outing in his first appearance of the season at the major league level. Godley worked six innings, giving up two runs on four hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

Godley’s career record has improved to 6-1 going back to last season and he has four quality starts out the seven games he’s started.

THE BAD

The bullpen made things a little hairier than it needed to be in the final three innings despite the positive result. Tyler Clippard, Daniel Hudson and Brad Ziegler combined to give up five hits and a home run.

The trio worked through the trouble, but it’s still a dangerous way to live.

STAT OF THE GAME

17: Jose Fernandez retired the first 17 Diamondback hitters before the eruption in the sixth inning.

HE SAID IT

“We didn’t do a great job, it just happened to be one-half inning or a third of a half-inning. Fortunately, the pitching did a great job, Zack did a great job. — Paul Goldschmidt on the Diamondbacks win.

NOTED

-Chip Hale said after the game he’s not sure if Godley will make another start. A decision is expected to come on Sunday.

UP NEXT

Sunday afternoon will be the rubber match of the Diamondbacks three-game series with the Marlins from Chase Field.

Robbie Ray gets the start for Arizona hoping to get back on track. Ray hasn’t made it to the sixth inning in his last four starts and has seen his ERA raise to 5.14.

Miami counters with the 3-3 Adam Conley. Conley has a 3.76 ERA.

First pitch is at 1:10 p.m. and pregame starts at 12:30 p.m. on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.