The Arizona Diamondbacks managed to seize a narrow 6-5 victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates and rookie sensation Paul Skenes by capitalizing on a bullpen rally.
Facing Skenes, who has been dominant in his career with only a few games allowing more than one earned run, the D-backs knew they needed a solid performance from Ryne Nelson and some runs off the Pirates’ bullpen to stay in contention. Nelson struggled somewhat, giving up four earned runs over five innings, but kept Arizona in the game. Skenes, not at his best, allowed two earned runs over 5.1 innings with five hits and three walks.
In the seventh inning, Joc Pederson delivered a pivotal three-run homer to give the Diamondbacks a 5-4 lead. This followed a two-run sixth inning that occurred just as Skenes was nearing his pitch limit. Jake McCarthy then drove in a run with a single, and Ketel Marte added an insurance run with his second homer of the series in the ninth, extending the lead to 6-4. Marte now leads the league with seven ninth-inning home runs this season.
The game had its tense moments, including a crucial misplay by Corbin Carroll and a nail-biting ninth inning where Ryan Thompson and A.J. Puk had to navigate tough situations. Puk secured the final out with a flyout after a challenging at-bat against Oneil Cruz. Paul Sewald also contributed with a scoreless inning, showing signs of improvement after being removed from the closer role.
Carroll had a productive game with a triple, single, and walk, extending his on-base streak to 20 games. With the Braves losing, the Diamondbacks are now just half a game behind the top National League Wild Card spot and have a strong post-All-Star break record of 11-4.
sensation Paul Skenes by capitalizing on a bullpen rally.
Facing Skenes, who has been dominant in his career with only a few games allowing more than one earned run, the D-backs knew they needed a solid performance from Ryne Nelson and some runs off the Pirates’ bullpen to stay in contention. Nelson struggled somewhat, giving up four earned runs over five innings, but kept Arizona in the game. Skenes, not at his best, allowed two earned runs over 5.1 innings with five hits and three walks.
In the seventh inning, Joc Pederson delivered a pivotal three-run homer to give the Diamondbacks a 5-4 lead. This followed a two-run sixth inning that occurred just as Skenes was nearing his pitch limit. Jake McCarthy then drove in a run with a single, and Ketel Marte added an insurance run with his second homer of the series in the ninth, extending the lead to 6-4. Marte now leads the league with seven ninth-inning home runs this season.
The game had its tense moments, including a crucial misplay by Corbin Carroll and a nail-biting ninth inning where Ryan Thompson and A.J. Puk had to navigate tough situations. Puk secured the final out with a flyout after a challenging at-bat against Oneil Cruz. Paul Sewald also contributed with a scoreless inning, showing signs of improvement after being removed from the closer role.
Carroll had a productive game with a triple, single, and walk, extending his on-base streak to 20 games. With the Braves losing, the Diamondbacks are now just half a game behind the top National League Wild Card spot and have a strong post-All-Star break record of 11-4.