PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks completed a four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies with a 5-4 walk-off win in front of 16,492 fans at Chase Field on Thursday.
Arizona (34-23) struggled offensively in the first half of the game but rallied behind an RBI double from Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in the sixth and a walk-off single from Corbin Carroll in the ninth, the first career walk off for Carroll at any stage in his career .
“I was trying to not expand the zone. I figured with an open base he wouldn’t give me much to hit and I was not very successful with that plan,” Carroll told reporters postgame.
“It felt really good. … Every game, everyone finds a way to contribute. Everyone comes in regardless of what happened yesterday. It seems like we have that same belief and same confidence and it’s a fun thing to be a part of.”
The first sweep of the season moves the D-backs into a deadlock with the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in not only the NL West but National League. Arizona currently holds the tie breaker over Los Angeles.
That’s 5 straight wins and a share of 1st place for the @Dbacks thanks to @corbin_carroll‘s #walkoff. pic.twitter.com/drjQQCQG46
— MLB (@MLB) June 1, 2023
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RHP Zach Davies took the mound for Arizona in just his second start after injuring his oblique in early April and was much more consistent this go-around.
It was not perfect, but Davies threw 96 pitches for 61 strikes, struck out four, walked one and allowed three runs in 5.2 innings. One run was allowed on a single after he was removed from the mound.
Luckily for the quiet bats of the D-backs to start Thursday, Davies was good enough to keep the contest close.
“I was able to move the ball in and out and recognize their game plan early,” Davies told reporters.
“After I gave up the RBI single in the second inning I realized they were sitting on a lot of soft stuff in the zone. I was able to get the fastball by some guys.”
After blazing starts to games over the previous four games in the win streak, Arizona was very stagnant to open Thursday against Rockies (24-34) starter Connor Seabold.
The D-backs’ offense mustered two hits through the first 13 batters of the ballgame, both by Christian Walker.
The first baseman had a single in the first inning that squeezed through the infield and later stepped up in the bottom of the fourth and drilled a double down the left field line for his 500th career hit in the MLB.
Davies kept the game close despite Arizona putting runners in scoring position in just one time through the first five innings.
He was chased from the contest after the sixth inning when Ryan McMahon hit a double down the right-field line, followed by a Harold Castro single and Nolan Jones single to cap off the night.
Seabold stifled the Arizona offense to the tune of three hits, five strikeouts, one walk and one earned run through 5.2 innings.
It seemed as if the D-backs needed a breath of fresh air because when Seabold was removed, Arizona’s offense immediately awoke thanks to a two-RBI double by Gurriel.
Arizona ended up surrendering a run in the top half of the seventh, but immediately answered back in the bottom half of the frame with a run of their own.
“How else can I say it,” manager Torey Lovullo asked reporters postgame. “I watched a group of players come together in the final 20 minutes of the game today in a way managers are always looking for to galvanize a team. I watched a very focused effort, I watched guys do things on a very elite level to win that game.”
The D-backs have now won five in a row and nine of their last 12. They are now 11 games over .500, the first time the team has been at least 10 or more games above .500 since Sept. 8, 2018.
EXTRAS
— Bench coach Jeff Banister was tossed from the contest in the bottom of the fourth frame after Pavin Smith struck out looking on consecutive strike calls that Arizona seemed to disagree with. According to StatCast, the umpire correctly ruled both balls for strikes.
Arizona struck out looking five separate times in the contest.
— Ketel Marte earned two hits and a walk on Thursday, extending his on-base streak to 30 games.
Merrill Kelly and the D-backs look to defend their spot on top of the National League as Charlie Morton and the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves come to Chase Field. Catch all the action at 6:40 p.m. on 98.7, the Arizona Sports app or ArizonaSports.com