Coming off a disappointing series loss to the Dodgers, the Diamondbacks responded with a big win over the San Francisco Giants. Randal Grichuk powered the offense with a pair of home runs and Ryne Nelson continued his stretch of excellent starts. They would need both, as the game got too close for comfort late, as Arizona escaped with a 8-7 win at Oracle Park.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!“He’s hot and when he’s hot he can carry a ballclub,” said manager Torey Lovullo on the postgame breakdown on DbacksTV. “The two-run home run let us exhale a little bit in the dugout after a grinding series against the Dodgers and a tough homestand and we got out to an early lead.”
Grichuk got the start against left-hander Kyle Harrison in left field with Lourdes Gurriel Jr. placed on the injured list with a calf strain. While the expectation is that Gurriel will only need the 10-day minimum stint, having Grichuk step up in a big way was a big boost to the team. He worked a nine-pitch at-bat against Harrison before crushing a center-cut fastball into the Diamondbacks bullpen that set the tone for the game.
Randal Grichuk with the big blow against Kyle Harrison. 9-pitch AB ends with a 410 foot homer to the #Dbacks bullpen in CF. 3-0 after the top of the 1st. pic.twitter.com/nq32WAWwor
— Michael McDermott (@MichaelMcDMLB) September 4, 2024
“I saw everything, I saw his heater, his slider, and changeup,” said Grichuk in the on-field postgame interview on DbacksTV. “I knew if I can see a pitch out over and stay within myself that I’d find a barrel and have a chance to put it in the gap. Luckily it carried over.”
That would be all the run support that Nelson needed for the night. The right-hander was in early trouble in the first inning after a walk and a double, but he limited the damage to just one run on a Heliot Ramos sacrifice fly. He got a big strikeout of Matt Chapman, his first of nine strikeouts, to strand the second runner.
From there, Nelson settled in and shut down the Giants lineup. He set down the next eight hitters, the next baserunner being a four-pitch walk to LaMonte Wade Jr. before getting another strikeout to escape the inning. His only mistakes were a mislocated fastball on a Grant McCray triple and a cutter down the middle to Matt Chapman for a solo home run. Nelson finished with just those two runs allowed in 6 2/3 innings, allowing just four hits, two walks, and tied his career-high with nine strikeouts.
“He’s emerging as one of the guys we look forward to every fifth day,” said Lovullo. “He’s grown and learned so much over the course of 20-plus starts that he’s given us this year. He’s locked in right now, he’s throwing the ball extremely well. Another quality start and a big win for this team.”
What was interesting for Nelson was the change in game plan compared to his previous starts over the past two months. Typically dominating with a fastball and cutter, the right-hander utilized 19 sliders and 11 changeups compared to just nine cutters. The slider was particularly effective, getting a pair of whiffs and landing four called strikes.
As Nelson continued to stack up innings, the offense got to work to blow the game open. Kevin Newman singled in two more runs in the third that made it a 6-1 game. Grichuk tacked on his second home run on a towering fly ball to the first row in left center and it had the makings of a blowout.
However, the lead suddenly evaporated in the eighth. Ryan Thompson struggled in the inning, allowing four runs. Mike Yastrzemski greeted Thompson with an opposite-field home run, but was in position to escape the inning with just the one run allowed. However, a two-out walk began a series of poor location mistakes that extended the inning. Patrick Bailey alertly dropped a perfect bunt past the mound to get the Giants within two and chase Thompson. Justin Martinez allowed an inherited runner to score, but froze Luis Matos with a 101 MPH fastball to hold the lead.
Corbin Carroll, fresh off a National League Player of the Month Award, showcased his wheels in the ninth. After leading off the inning with a single, he stole second and third to get himself in scoring position. Christian Walker, who was activated from the injured list before the game, got a changeup out over the plate and smoked a 109 MPH ground ball through the middle for a key insurance run.
It was a run the Diamondbacks needed, as the Giants scored in the ninth. However, Martinez was able to finish the game with a strikeout of Jerar Encarnacion on a splitter to preserve the win.
Next Game
The Diamondbacks will go for the series win over the Giants. They’ll send right-hander Zac Gallen (10-6, 3.87 ERA) while San Francisco will go right rookie right-hander Hayden Birdsong (3-4, 5.14 ERA). First pitch at Oracle Park will be at 6:45 P.M. MST.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
