Randal Grichuk homers twice as Diamondbacks hold off Giants 8-7
AP Baseball Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Randal Grichuk hit a two-run homer in the first and a solo drive in the fifth to move within one of 300 for his career, and the Arizona Diamondbacks held off the San Francisco Giants 8-7 on Tuesday night for their seventh straight road win.
Grichuk had his 12th career multi-homer game and first in nearly two years since connecting twice for Colorado on Sept. 6, 2022, against Milwaukee.
“He’s hot, and when he’s hot he can carry a ballclub,” manager Torey Lovullo said.
Grichuk’s big bat helped Ryne Nelson (10-6) reach double-digit victories for the first time in his career in just the second win in six games overall for Arizona, which holds the second NL wild card spot.
“It was a big win for us to kind of get back on that train we were riding for a little bit,” Nelson said.
Matt Chapman homered in the sixth and Mike Yastrzemski connected to spark a four-run eighth for the Giants on a night they drew a season-low crowd of 23,545 and lost their third straight and fifth in six. San Francisco threatened against Ryan Thompson, who gave up RBI singles to Jerar Encarnacion and Patrick Bailey.
Justin Martinez relieved and surrendered a run-scoring single to Marco Luciano, freshly up from the minors, before retiring Luis Matos on a called third strike. Martinez allowed Yastrzemski’s leadoff single in the ninth then a one-out RBI double to Heliot Ramos before striking out Encarnacion to close it out for his eighth save — with the tying and go-ahead runs aboard.
Corbin Carroll singled to begin the ninth for a career-best 13-game hitting streak then stole second and third before Christian Walker singled him home for a key insurance run.
“It felt great to help the team,” said Walker, who returned from the injured list after he missed more than a month with a strained left oblique muscle. He went 1 for 5 in the cleanup spot, and Walker will be carefully built up to playing regularly again.
“I talk to you guys about momentum and swings all the time and it was clearly in their favor after the eighth inning,” Lovullo said. “I felt like our group knew how important it was to go out there and add on a run or two to stop the momentum and they did a great job.”
Arizona loaded the bases with two outs in the third against rookie lefty Kyle Harrison (7-7), who was replaced following Adrian Del Castillo’s single. Tristan Beck entered and immediately surrendered Kevin Newman’s two-run single.
Josh Bell added an RBI groundout in the initial inning then Geraldo Perdomo made it 4-1 when he singled in a run in the second.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: Walker played for the first time since July 29 against Washington. … OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. went on the 10-day IL with a strained left calf, though Lovullo expects him to return when eligible. Gurriel was hurt trying to beat out a double play Sunday against the Dodgers. … INF Ketel Marte tested his sprained left ankle with some aggressive baserunning while C Gabriel Moreno (strained adductor in his left leg) still needs some recovery time. … LHP Jordan Montgomery is listed as day-to-day after he took a comebacker off the lower right leg Monday and exited in the seventh inning.
Giants: Michael Conforto was scratched from the designated hitter spot. He had some discomfort in his left side Sunday then San Francisco had a day off Monday. Conforto still felt something when went in the cage to swing Tuesday and the team decided to be cautious. Manager Bob Melvin expects him to play Wednesday.
ROSTER MOVES
The Giants recalled Luciano and OF Luis Matos from Triple-A Sacramento. C/OF Blake Sabol and INF Casey Schmitt were optioned to Sacramento.
UP NEXT
RHP Zac Gallen (10-6, 3.87 ERA), 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA and 29 strikeouts over his last four outings at Oracle Park, pitches the middle game of the series for Arizona opposite RHP Hayden Birdsong (3-4, 5.14).
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