Coming in to pinch-hit for Eugenio Suárez in the bottom of the 9th inning, Pavin Smith delivered the Diamondbacks their third straight win by sending the second fastball he saw 424 feet over the wall in center field.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!But, before Smith’s heroics, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. set the tone early with a solo shot in the 2nd inning, marking his 100th career home run.
Shortly after Gurriel Jr. put the D-backs on the board, Eugenio Suárez launched a ball that fell just inches short of a homer, resulting in his first triple since the 2022 season. Suárez then scored on a Blaze Alexander single up the middle.
Ryne Nelson took the mound for Arizona and delivered arguably the best start of his career, pitching 7.2 innings while allowing just two earned runs on six hits. Nelson not only set a career-high for most outs recorded in a start, but he also became the first Diamondbacks pitcher this season to pitch into the 8th inning.
Despite Nelson’s stellar performance, the Giants managed to tie the game, as Arizona’s offense fell silent after the 2nd inning rally. From innings 4-8, the Diamondbacks only managed one hit, an infield single.
Ryan Thompson, the D-backs’ strongest arm in the bullpen, followed Nelson and continued his dominance this season with 1.1 shutout innings, giving the Diamondbacks’ struggling offense a chance in the bottom of the 9th.
In the 9th, after Lourdes Gurriel Jr. struck out to start the inning, Jake McCarthy blooped a hit into left field, which he managed to stretch into a double.
This set the stage for Pavin Smith to deliver the game-winning bomb.
PAVIN CALLED GAME. ???? pic.twitter.com/ovTwKjJKCL
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) June 4, 2024
The Diamondbacks, now riding a three-game winning streak, will look to secure a series win over the Giants tomorrow night at 6:40. Blake Walston is scheduled to take the mound for Arizona.
