LDN - Sports

Diamondbacks pull out win over White Sox

[May 24, 2017] PHOENIX -- The Arizona Diamondbacks like their home cooking this year.

The Diamondbacks, who put up an embarrassing 33-48 record at home in 2016, continued their domination this year at Chase Field on Tuesday night. They ran up an early 3-0 lead, then hung on to eke out a 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox.

They are now 20-8 at home, matching their best start in franchise history through 28 games (also done in 1999, when they won 100 games overall, and 2000). They also are 7-2 in one-run games at home.

"There's an overall comfort level that we have here... knowing every turn, every twist," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. "We're comfortable playing at home as anybody.

"I challenged these guys early in the year to say, 'Look, this is our home. Let's create a homefield advantage. They've taken that and run with it. I'm very proud of these guys for that."

Jake Lamb hit a two-run homer and Chris Herrmann added a solo shot for the D-backs.

"We were a little young last year, inexperienced and brought in some guys this year and other guys are having bounce-back years," Lamb said.

"We've got good pitching, we knew we had good hitting. We have a great bullpen right now. It's just better baseball all-round."

Paul Goldschmidt had two hits, including a first-inning RBI triple, and Yasmany Tomas added a pair of hits for the D-backs (28-19).

Arizona starter Patrick Corbin (4-4) allowed three runs in the first three innings but then blanked the Sox from the fourth through the sixth. He allowed a single to start the seventh, then was relieved by Archie Bradley.

Corbin yielded three runs and eight hits while striking out five and walking one.

"I executed pitches better later on in the game," Corbin said. "I got ahead of guys."

The White Sox (20-24) got a two-run homer from Todd Frazier and solo shots from Jose Abreu and Melky Cabrera.

Abreu belted his 100th career homer. His shot to left field off Jorge De La Rosa to lead off the eighth inning cut the D-backs' lead to 5-4.

"This is something real special for me," said Abreu, speaking through an interpreter. "Something that you really appreciate. I am thankful to all of the people that helped me reach this milestone."

The Sox then loaded the bases with one out, but reliever J.J. Hoover came in and struck out Omar Narvaez and Yolmer Sanchez.

Fernando Rodney pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up the save.

"The bullpen did a great job," Corbin said. "It's tough for the bullpen. They haven't been throwing. A lot of guys have had five, six, seven days off. So to come in and be as sharp as you'd like, it's a little harder for them. For Hoover to come in and have those two strikeouts was huge."

Lovullo, speaking of the multiple options the D-Backs possess in the bullpen, said: "It's a tremendous luxury we all feel. Those guys are armed and ready."

The White Sox' Dylan Covey (0-4) had to come out of the game in the third inning due to left oblique soreness. He pitched 2 1/3 innings, giving up four runs and five hits. He will be evaluated further on Wednesday.

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Diamondbacks pitcher Patrick Corbin throws in the sixth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

White Sox manager Rick Renteria praised his relievers for keeping his team in the game.

"I think we threw everything at them but the kitchen sink to try and see what we could do," Renteria said. "We had a lot of hard hit balls today. Sometimes they fall, sometimes they don't. "

A key point in the game came in the top of the fourth.

Chicago's Leury Garcia reached on an infield single, then Willy Garcia drew a walk.

Kevan Smith, attempting to bunt with two strikes, rolled the ball up the third base line almost to the bag. Instead of hitting the bag for a hit -- and a bases-loaded nobody out situation -- the ball curled foul for a strikeout. Corbin then was able to retire the side.

With one on and two outs in the fifth, Tomas made a diving catch of Frazier's line drive to left-center.

The D-backs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first when Rey Fuentes led off with a single and Goldschmidt tripled to right-center to drive him home.

Lamb then belted a two-run homer to right field.

The White Sox got a run back in the second on Cabrera's solo homer.

The D-backs stretched the lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the second when Herrmann hit a fly ball that just cleared the fence near the left-field foul pole.

The White Sox pulled within 4-3 when Abreu singled and Frazier homered in the top of the third.

In the fourth, the D-backs hiked the lead to 5-3 when Tomas singled, then raced home on Brandon Drury's double to left center.

NOTES: The D-backs have launched a discounted-ticket program for the summer that offers all June and July home games for just $50. If fans attended all 25 games, that would mean spending $2 per ticket to an outfield reserve seat. ... A decision on whether to bring OF A.J. Pollock on the 11-game road trip that starts Thursday in Milwaukee will be made by Wednesday. Pollock, out with a groin injury, is eligible to come off the DL Friday, but there's no indication he'll be activated that soon. ... White Sox OF Avisail Garcia did not start because of flu-like symptoms, though he entered the game as a pinch hitter. ... Chicago 2B Tyler Saladino, who has been hampered by back pain though available to play, started for the first time since May 16. He went 1-for-5.

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