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Diamondbacks top Giants 3-1, win 6th straight series
Posted
By Mark Carlisle
Independent Newsmedia
The Diamondbacks have won six straight series to start the year after defeating the San Francisco Giants 3-1 at Chase Field Thursday night.
The streak shatters the prior team record of two series victories to begin a season. The Snakes’ 13-5 start ties a club record through 18 games and gives them the second-best record in the National League.
Zack Greinke looked like himself again Thursday after allowing nine total runs over his prior two starts. The only run Greinke allowed over seven innings Thursday came on a solo homer from Brandon Belt in the second. It was one of three hits Greinke conceded, striking out two and walking one.
Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zack Greinke throws to a San Francisco Giants batter during the first inning of Thursday's game at Chase Field in Phoenix. [AP Photo/Matt York][/caption]“Nice bounceback win after maybe a little bit of frustration yesterday,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said, referring to the team’s 10-inning loss Wednesday night. “… It started with Zack tonight. He gave us seven incredible innings. Just working both edges of the plate, he had a great mixture of pitches, he and Jeff (Mathis) had a great rhythm and then turn it over to the bullpen.”
The D-backs have yet to lose back-to-back games this season.
Two of Arizona’s three runs also came on solo shots, from A.J. Pollock in the sixth and Ketel Marte in the seventh.
Greinke was locked in a pitcher’s duel with Giants starter Ty Blach for most of the game. Blach allowed two earned runs in six innings on six hits and three walks, striking out four.
The D-backs first run came in the when David Peralta singled home Mathis to tie the game after Belt put San Francisco in front an inning earlier. Mathis led off the inning with a double to the left-field corner.
Closer Brad Boxberger gave a scare Thursday after losing Wednesday night’s game in the 10th, giving up his first runs of the season.
Boxberger gave up two hits in the ninth, putting the tying run on base for Belt, who hit the go-ahead homer off of Boxberger in the 10th Wednesday. Boxberger won the matchup this time, getting Belt to pop up to third baseman Devin Marrero in foul ground for the final out.
Despite his struggles in the series, Boxberger is 6 for 6 in save opportunities with a 2.00 ERA. Setup man Archie Bradley threw a perfect eighth, striking out the only three batters he faced.
Greinke said he always wants to throw more, but he was OK turning it over to Bradley and Boxberger after seven innings.
“I was pitching really good, but I think that’s kind of just how it is when you have guys as good as they are out there,” he said. “When you get to that spot, you just let them go and do it. And they did great.”
Collision
The D-backs had a scare of another type in the third when right fielder Chris Owings hung on to a sliding catch on the warning track in right-center despite colliding with center field Pollock in the process. Both players appeared hurt on the play, but only Owings exited the game. He was replaced by Jarrod Dyson.
After the game, Owings said Pollock’s knee hit him in the jaw, but the main impact came from whiplash that caused the back of his head to hit the ground.
Owings said the team’s medical staff conducted concussion tests after he came out.
“I feel like I passed it, and you know kind of reevaluate in the morning, but right now I’m feeling like everything’s going pretty good,” he said.
Owings said he had bled from a cut on the back of his head and was experiencing some swelling in his jaw but was already feeling better shortly after the game. He’s had concussions before and said after watching the replay, he said he felt lucky the injury wasn’t worse.
“If his knee would have got me in the back of the head, it could have been a lot worse, for sure,” Owings said.
Lovullo gave Owings his own test while walking after the field after the team doctor talked to him.
“I asked him, I said, ‘Who am I putting in this game right now? Who’s going to be our right fielder?’ And he said, ‘Jarrod Dyson,’” Lovullo said, trying to make sure his player was still alert.
Owings said his manager’s test was much easier than the test from medical staff in the clubhouse after exiting the game.
“They’re making me go over number and backwards and all this other kind of stuff. So, that was an easy quiz compared to what was happening in here,” Owings said.
Greinke’s always found success against San Francisco. He's now 12-2 with a 2.31 ERA in 18 career starts against the Giants. He’s now tied for second all-time with an .857 winning percentage against the Giants, minimum 10 starts.
He was helped out by his defense Thursday, including the great play from Owings in right. Of 21 balls hit in play in Greinke’s seven innings, only three went for hits.
Up next
Matt Koch will take the mound at Chase Field for Friday’s 6:40 p.m. series opener against the San Diego Padres. Koch, who will face Tyson Ross, is making his first start of the year, filling in for Taijuan Walker after the team announced Wednesday that Walker will require Tommy John surgery and miss the rest of the season. The surgery is scheduled for Wednesday, April 25 with Dr. David Altcheck in New York.
Throwback Thursday
Commemorating the team’s 20 year anniversary, the D-backs wore the pinstriped, white with purple and teal home uniforms from the team’s inaugural season in 1998 Thursday. The team wore white caps with a purple brim, featuring the team’s original purple and teal logo.
Kevin’s Tower
The D-backs welcome the Padres to Chase Field for the first time this season Friday, and with it, they’ll honor a figure close to each club. Two hours before the game, the D-backs will dedicate the suite in which the team’s late general manager, Kevin Towers, used to sit as “Kevin’s Tower.” Towers was the Padres’ GM from 1995 to 2009 and the D-backs’ GM from 2010 to 2014. He died Jan. 30 from complications from cancer. He was 56.
The D-backs will also wear “KT” patches Aug. 2 in a home game against the Giants.
Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zack Greinke throws to a San Francisco Giants batter during the first inning of Thursday's game at Chase Field in Phoenix. [AP Photo/Matt York][/caption]“Nice bounceback win after maybe a little bit of frustration yesterday,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said, referring to the team’s 10-inning loss Wednesday night. “… It started with Zack tonight. He gave us seven incredible innings. Just working both edges of the plate, he had a great mixture of pitches, he and Jeff (Mathis) had a great rhythm and then turn it over to the bullpen.”
The D-backs have yet to lose back-to-back games this season.
Two of Arizona’s three runs also came on solo shots, from A.J. Pollock in the sixth and Ketel Marte in the seventh.
Greinke was locked in a pitcher’s duel with Giants starter Ty Blach for most of the game. Blach allowed two earned runs in six innings on six hits and three walks, striking out four.
The D-backs first run came in the when David Peralta singled home Mathis to tie the game after Belt put San Francisco in front an inning earlier. Mathis led off the inning with a double to the left-field corner.
Closer Brad Boxberger gave a scare Thursday after losing Wednesday night’s game in the 10th, giving up his first runs of the season.
Boxberger gave up two hits in the ninth, putting the tying run on base for Belt, who hit the go-ahead homer off of Boxberger in the 10th Wednesday. Boxberger won the matchup this time, getting Belt to pop up to third baseman Devin Marrero in foul ground for the final out.
Despite his struggles in the series, Boxberger is 6 for 6 in save opportunities with a 2.00 ERA. Setup man Archie Bradley threw a perfect eighth, striking out the only three batters he faced.
Greinke said he always wants to throw more, but he was OK turning it over to Bradley and Boxberger after seven innings.
“I was pitching really good, but I think that’s kind of just how it is when you have guys as good as they are out there,” he said. “When you get to that spot, you just let them go and do it. And they did great.”
