D-backs' Lamb beats Mariners in homecoming

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[July 28, 2015]  SEATTLE -- Jake Lamb, a Seattle native, felt some nerves during his first at-bat as a member of the visiting team at Safeco Field on Monday evening.

That was natural for a guy who ordered 50 tickets for friends and family members and looked up to see nearly twice that many people in his rooting section. By the 10th inning, the jitters were gone, even though the stakes were much higher.

The Arizona third baseman delivered a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th, leading the Diamondbacks to a 4-3 win over the Seattle Mariners.

"That was cool it worked out like that," said Lamb, who graduated from Seattle's Bishop Blanchet High School and played baseball at the University of Washington. "It was great to get the win and have all those people there."

With one out, Lamb hit a shallow fly ball. Seattle center fielder Austin Jackson caught the ball easily but had trouble getting it out of his glove and made a late throw home. Arizona first baseman Paul Goldschmidt easily scored from third, helping the Diamondbacks (47-51) win for the fourth time in five games.
 


Reliever Oliver Perez (2-1) earned the victory after blowing the save in the bottom of the ninth, while Andrew Chafin recorded his second save of the season with a scoreless 10th.

Seattle catcher Mike Zunino sent the game into extra innings with a two-out, RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning. That came off Perez, who was trying to earn his first save since 2013 as closer Brad Ziegler took the night off after three consecutive games of work.

With Ziegler unavailable, the Diamondbacks initially turned to right-hander Daniel Hudson to open the ninth inning while clinging to a 3-2 lead.

Hudson walked leadoff hitter Robinson Cano but got pinch hitter Seth Smith to ground into a double play. Former Diamondback Mark Trumbo then hit a two-out double, and Arizona turned to Perez, whose last save came on July 5, 2013, when he was pitching for Seattle, to face left-handed-hitting first baseman Logan Morrison.

Perez threw a wild pitch on a full count, walking Morrison while sending pinch runner Chris Taylor to third, before Zunino lined an 0-2 pitch into left field to bring in the tying run.

"It's awesome," Zunino said of delivering the big hit with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. "That's what you want to be a part of, a situation like that."


Seattle closer Carson Smith, who was supposed to get the night off, came on in the 10th and gave up two walks while hitting a batter before lefty Vidal Nuno came on with the bases loaded. Lamb then came through.

The Mariners threatened in the bottom of the 10th, with third baseman Kyle Seager on second base and two outs, but Chafin intentionally walked Cano before striking out Smith to end the game.

The Mariners (46-54) have played extra innings in each of their past two games and three of the last five.

The Diamondbacks got two early home runs on the way to a 3-0 lead, and starting pitcher Robbie Ray did his part to keep Arizona in front before the ninth-inning dramatics. Goldschmidt and catcher Welington Castillo each homered, while Ray allowed just two runs on six hits over seven innings.

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An RBI single from Morrison gave the Mariners their first run before Cano cut the deficit to 3-2 with a solo home run, his 11th of the year, in the sixth inning.

Cano went 2-for-3, while Trumbo had three hits -- two of them doubles -- and an RBI for Seattle.

Mariners starter Mike Montgomery recovered from serving up two early home runs to pitch 6 2/3 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and four walks.

"I felt good from the beginning," Montgomery said. "Really, those two mistakes for home runs, they took advantage of them. After that, I felt a lot better finding my fastball command."

Arizona had just five hits in the win.

The most important play didn't involve a hit -- Lamb's 10th-inning fly ball. While most of the hometown fans at Safeco Field groaned when it brought in the go-ahead run, there were about 90 Lamb supporters who were happy to see it happen.

"I think they'd still like me if I didn't get the hit," Lamb said of his sacrifice fly. "I'd like to think so anyway. But it was nice to get the RBI."
 


NOTES: Before Monday's game, the Diamondbacks activated C Jarrod Saltalamacchia from the 15-day disabled list. Arizona had a roster spot available after optioning RHP Dominic Leone, a former Mariner, to Double-A Mobile following Sunday's game. ... The Mariners and Diamondbacks made a minor trade before Monday's game, with Seattle acquiring RHP J.C. Ramirez for cash considerations. Ramirez, who spent time in the Mariners' organization earlier in his career, will join the bullpen of Seattle's Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma. ... The Diamondbacks are in Seattle for the first time since 2009, when Ken Griffey Jr. had a game-winning hit for the Mariners in the series opener. Griffey was in his second tour of duty with Seattle at age 39.

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