|
 "I'd like to be in there every day," Peralta said Sunday. "I'm
trying to prove to everybody that I can do it."
Peralta had a career-high five hits, including a 10th-inning single
that helped set up second baseman Chris Owings' walkoff single in a
4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Chase Field.
"It was a special day, more special because we needed that game. It
felt really good," Peralta said.
First baseman Paul Goldschmidt walked before Peralta singled in the
10th, and the runners moved up on Jarrod Saltalamacchia's first
sacrifice bunt since 2009. After right-hander Ryan Mattheus (1-3)
intentionally walked third baseman Jake Lamb, Owings hit a long fly
to center field over a shallow outfield.
"That situation, bases loaded, looking for one thing to do, drive
the ball somewhere," Owings said.
The game wasn't quite over, however, as Cincinnati manager Bryan
Price called the umpires together to discuss the fact that neither
Peralta nor Lamb touched the next base, instead joining a
celebration near the pitcher's mound. Confusing the issue was the
fact that a security guard picked up the ball in center field
moments after Owings' hit.
The play was allowed to stand.
"I was kind of worried, but thank God we got the win," Peralta said.
"The only dispute were the runners going from first to second and
second to third did not touch the advanced bases to complete the
play," Price said. "We would have had an argument going to ether
third or second base if there were two outs but because there was
only one out that nullified our ability to make that challenge."
Goldschmidt had three hits and an RBI to break a 3-for-27 slump as
the Diamondbacks (54-56) won for the third time in five games. He
had two doubles and scored a run.
Peralta also singled in the first, third and eighth innings and
doubled in Goldschmidt in a two-run fifth inning for a 3-2 lead.
Peralta scored on Saltalamacchia's two-out single.
Right-hander Josh Collmenter (4-6) pitched a 1-2-3 10th inning for
his first victory since May 6.
Center fielder Billy Hamilton and third baseman Ivan De Jesus Jr.
had two hits apiece for the Reds (49-60), who have lost four of
five.
Arizona center fielder A.J. Pollock singled and stole second in the
first inning before Goldschmidt doubled into the left field corner
to make it 1-0.
The Reds took a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning after Hamilton doubled
to lead off the inning and first baseman Joey Votto walked. Byrd
singled to drive in one run, and after Jay Bruce singled to load the
bases, shortstop Eugenio Suarez drove in a run on a force out at
second.
Suarez and third baseman De Jesus Jr. doubled to open the seventh
inning off Arizona starter Patrick Corbin, tying the game at 3 and
knocking out Corbin.
Corbin gave up three runs in six-plus innings while striking out
five, his third quality start in his last four outings.
Cincinnati right-hander Anthony DeSclafani gave up three runs on 10
hits in six innings, striking out four. DeSclafani has made four
straight quality starts.
"I wasn't sharp today," DeSclafani said. "It was definitely an
outing that I had to grind out. When you don't feel that good you
want to go as long as you can, at least six innings so your bullpen
doesn't have to do a lot of the work."
NOTES: Cincinnati 3B Todd Frazier took a called third strike as a
pinch-hitter in the seventh after being held out the lineup while in
a 2-for-30 stretch with no extra-base hits and one RBI. "Every now
and then he just tries to do too much," Cincinnati manager Bryan
Price said. Frazier led the league with 30 doubles. ... Arizona RF
Yasmany Tomas, hitting .297 with six homers and 39 RBIs, grounded
out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning. He did not start for the
third straight game, but manager Chip Hale said Tomas would be in
the lineup for the first two games of the Philadelphia series Monday
and Tuesday. ... Cincinnati (104) and Arizona (97) are 1-2 in the NL
in stolen bases entering Sunday's games. The Reds led the league
with a 78.2 percent success rate; the Diamondbacks are fourth at
74.6.
[to top of second column] |
Bullpen plays major role in Blue Jays' sweep of Yankees
NEW YORK -- During their biggest series in New York after the
All-Star break in 22 years, there were a number of moments helping
the Blue Jays maintain their roll.
There were big swings via two home runs apiece from third baseman
Josh Donaldson and right fielder Jose Bautista, a grand slam by
first baseman Justin Smoak and a tack-on home run by shortstop Troy
Tulowitzki.
None of those would have mattered had the Blue Jays lost the games
or blown some games late.
Toronto turned in a flawless bullpen performance during its first
three-game sweep in New York since May 22-25, 2003 and the biggest
out during Sunday's 2-0 win came from its oldest player when LaTroy
Hawkins stranded two by getting the final two outs of the seventh.
In his 1,029th career appearance, Hawkins needed only nine pitches.
After right-hander Marco Estrada allowed his third hit of the game
to third baseman Chase Headley, Hawkins entered with runners at
first and second.
"Stay calm, make your pitches and make your pitches and get out of
this," said Hawkins, who has held left-handed hitters to a .205
average (9-for-44). "That's my thought process. You have to be
comfortable being uncomfortable kind of in that uncomfortable
situation. This isn't like my first time there. I've been there
before."
For the first out, Hawkins retired shortstop Didi Gregorius on a
lineout. For the final out, Hawkins struck out second baseman
Stephen Drew with a high fastball in a moment that can be viewed as
the turning point to Toronto's eighth straight victory.
"He's still got pretty good velocity," Toronto manager John Gibbons
said. "You figure at his age you start losing that a little bit.
He's not what he was as a young kid but he's turned himself into a
pretty good pitcher. The big thing in those situations, the guys
that have been through it 20-plus years. He's been through many of
those things. He's not going to always get the results you want but
he's not going to be distracted or intimidated or anything like that
and that's key in those big innings."
For as much notoriety Toronto's powerful offense has been getting
recently, its bullpen has been pretty good recently.
Hawkins has allowed one earned run over his last 19 innings.
Left-hander Brett Cecil, who lost his closer's job in April has
turned in 15 straight scoreless appearances, Aaron Sanchez has
allowed one hit and three batters to reach since returning from the
DL July 25 and rookie closer Roberto Osuna has recorded his last 10
save opportunities after throwing 17 pitches in his two saves
against the Yankees.
"You can't win anything without a good bullpen," Gibbons said.
"We've had our struggles a time or two getting to the last couple of
innings. It's starting to iron itself out."
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