In a season-defining moment of pure excitement, Gabriel Moreno’s clutch hit sent Evan Longoria across the plate with a jaw-dropping, acrobatic slide, securing a dramatic 13th inning victory for the Diamondbacks.
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Gabriel Moreno walks it off for the Snakes in the 13th! pic.twitter.com/R3rOTVKzTZ
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 17, 2023
The night started with Arizona striking first in the bottom of the fourth.
Then, with Zach Davies on the mound for the Diamondbacks, a couple of walks led to a three-run fifth inning for Chicago.
Davies was forced to exit after tossing four innings, which set the stage for the Diamondbacks to use seven relievers.
Yet somehow, no earned runs were allowed combined between these seven pitchers, giving the Diamondbacks an opportunity to prolong the game deep into extras.
Pitchers used by Arizona:
- Zach Davies (1-4 innings)
- Luis Frias (5th inning)
- Miguel Castro (6th inning)
- Ryan Thompson (7th inning)
- Kevin Ginkel (8th inning)
- Paul Sewald (9th inning)
- Andrew Saalfrank (10th & 11th innings)
- Joe Mantiply (12th & 13th innings)
In extras, it was a classic back-and-forth affair. The Cubs grabbed a run in the 10th, leading to a Diamondbacks answer in the bottom half. This pattern repeated itself in the 11th.
But, in the 13th, after the Cubs grabbed a 6-5 lead, Arizona’s offense sparked a two-out rally with two base knocks that were hit in the perfect spot.
While the Diamondbacks could have definitely ended the game earlier as they left eight runners on base in a four-inning span, it would ultimately not matter.
With this win, the D-backs have improved to 5-1 this season against the Cubs. The two teams will wrap up their series tomorrow at 4:00 PM on ESPN.
