"It wasn't looking good," Diamondbacks center fielder A.J. Pollock
said. "Our bats were a little stale. The quality of the at-bats got
better throughout the game."
Pollock had one of those quality at-bats in the eighth inning when
he drove in the go-ahead runs with a two-run single on a 90 mph
sinker from right-hander Burke Badenhop, lifting Arizona to a 5-4
victory over the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a four-game series
at Great American Ball Park.
"The way it started ... we just couldn't get anything going,"
Arizona manager Chip Hale said. "Guys kept competing. We talk about
that in our meetings. I'm very proud of them."
Second baseman Chris Owings, whose solo homer started the rally,
fell a triple shy of the cycle and Pollock went 4-for-5 with three
RBIs for Arizona (59-61), which is 15-10 in its last 25 games.
Center fielder Jason Bourgeois went 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI
for Cincinnati (51-68), which dropped its sixth straight. It was
Bourgeois' first two-hit game since Sept. 4, 2014.
Reds rookie left-hander John Lamb, making his second major league
appearance, allowed three runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. Lamb
was denied his first career victory when the Diamondbacks rallied.
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"I thought I threw the ball well," Lamb said. "I fell behind on
(Owings') home run. I tip my cap to him. I didn't get the ball in
far enough. It's a learning experience. I felt strong, I was just
making some mistakes."
With the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth, Pollock singled on
a 1-1 pitch from Badenhop to put the Diamondbacks ahead to stay.
"Badenhop has a lot of sink on his ball. I've faced him a couple
times," Pollock said. "He's got so much movement on his ball. I was
just trying to pound it into the ground. I hit it hard enough to get
up the middle."
Badenhop (1-3) allowed two runs and three hits in one inning to take
the loss.
Arizona's bullpen pitched seven scoreless innings.
The Reds threatened to break through in the eighth with a walk and a
single to begin the inning. But right-hander Daniel Hudson retired
the next three batters to end the threat.
Brad Ziegler pitched the ninth for his 22nd save. David Hernandez
(1-3) picked up the victory.
Five of the first eight batters that Diamondbacks left-hander
Patrick Corbin faced reached base, and three scored.
Cincinnati went ahead 1-0 in the first on right fielder Jay Bruce's
bases-loaded sacrifice fly. Corbin avoided further damage in the
inning when left fielder Ender Inciarte threw out Reds shortstop
Eugenio Suarez attempting to reach third on the play.
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The Reds added a run in the second when left fielder Skip Schumaker
doubled and scored on catcher Tucker Barnhart's single.
The hits kept on coming for Cincinnati as Bourgeois doubled off the
center field wall, scoring Barnhart. Suarez followed with a sharp
single to center, putting the Reds ahead 4-0.
Cincinnati was denied a fifth run when Suarez was thrown out again,
this time at home on a relay from shortstop Nick Ahmed. It took a
three-minute, 26-second review to confirm the out call, but Corbin's
night was finished.
Corbin allowed four runs and eight hits in two innings.
"He just didn't have it," Hale said. "The pitches piled up early."
Lamb scuffled in the fifth when Owings launched a 1-0 pitch for his
fourth homer of the season and Pollock added a RBI single, making
the score 4-2.
Pollock completed the comeback three innings later, sealing another
tough loss for Cincinnati.
The Reds played short-handed with an injury to second baseman
Brandon Phillips and left fielder Marlon Byrd being traded before
the game.
"We were limited," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "We need to get
well in a hurry, and we need our starters to go deeper."
NOTES: The Reds took another step in their rebuilding process
Thursday, trading veteran OF Marlon Byrd to the Giants in exchange
for Double-A RHP Stephen Johnson. Byrd batted .237 with 19 homers
and 42 RBIs in 96 games for the Reds. OF Skip Schumaker started in
left field Thursday after the deal was official. ... Diamondbacks
RHP Jeremy Hellickson was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a
strained left hamstring. Arizona recalled RHP Chase Anderson from
Triple-A Reno just two days after he was demoted. He will start
Sunday's series finale in Cincinnati. RHP Randall Delgado will move
from the bullpen to start Saturday. ... Reds 2B Brandon Phillips was
out of the lineup after leaving Wednesday's game with inflammation
in his right biceps tendon. INF Ivan De Jesus Jr. started at second.
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