Phoenix – Speedy Padres pinch runner Jorge Mateo was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first base on a single to end the game, and the Arizona Diamondbacks held off San Diego 7-6 on Saturday night.
The Padres nearly completed a late rally after trailing 7-1. San Diego scored twice in the eighth, then three more times in the ninth off Archie Bradley to set up the thrilling final play.
With two outs, Mateo got a head start by trying to steal second when Jurickson Profar lined a single through the infield. Center fielder Starling Marte quickly made the relay to second baseman Ketel Marte, who made a perfect throw to catcher Carson Kelly for the tag.
“Those are the beautiful plays of baseball,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “The highs and lows, the heart-stopping moments turn into celebrations instantly. We’re all adrenaline junkies, no doubt about it.
“There was collective roar in the dugout, a couple fist pumps. We won the game.”
Mateo once stole 82 bases in a minor league season. The 25-year-old rookie has 283 career steals in the minors. Third base coach Glenn Hoffman never hesitated to send Mateo and force the Diamondbacks to make a play.
Padres manager Jayce Tingler thought Mateo might have beat the throw but, after a review, the umpires confirmed the final out.
“I’m really happy to see the guys continue to fight, make it down to an inch or two there at the very end,” Tingler said. “It took a really good relay throw to do it. Mateo was busting up from the get-go, got around there quick. I thought it was a good roll of the dice.”
The Diamondbacks continued their recent run of good baseball, winning their third straight and for the seventh time in 10 games. Arizona got 14 hits, including three singles by both David Peralta and Kelly.
Nick Ahmed hit a bases-loaded, two-run double to spark a four-run sixth.
“It’s good to score runs and win games,” Ahmed said.
Braves 2, Marlins 1
In Miami, Adam Duvall hit a tiebreaking home run off the foul pole with one out in the ninth inning, and the Atlanta Braves broke a four-game losing streak by beating the first-place Miami Marlins 2-1 Saturday.
Atlanta’s Max Fried pitched 6⅓ shutout innings and was in line for his fourth victory until Monte Harrison hit his first major league homer leading off the eighth against Will Smith for a 1-all tie.
The Braves regained the lead when Duvall lunged at an outside pitch from Brandon Kintzler (1-1) and pulled it down the left field line.
Marcell Ozuna produced the game’s first run when he led off the seventh with his fifth homer off Daniel Castano, making only his second major league start.
Fried allowed four hits, struck out seven and lowered his ERA to 1.24, but he remained winless in five career starts against Miami.
Smith (1-0) worked the eighth. Mark Melancon pitched around a two-out single in the ninth for his fourth save to complete a six-hitter.
Cardinals 5, White Sox 1 (first game)
Cardinals 6, White Sox 3 (second game)
In Chicago, Paul Goldschmidt and Tyler O’Neill homered, and St. Louis completed a doubleheader sweep in St. Louis’ long-awaited return from a coronavirus outbreak.
Playing for the first time since July 29, St. Louis used solid performances by Dexter Fowler and Adam Wainwright to post a victory in Game 1. Then it battered Chicago’s bullpen in the second seven-inning game.
The reigning NL Central champions improved to 4-3 with the sweep. Every other team in the majors had played at least 13 games coming into the day.
Trailing 3-1 heading into the fifth, the Cardinals went ahead to stay with a four-run rally. Goldschmidt hit an RBI single off Evan Marshall (0-1) before O’Neill belted a tiebreaking drive to left for his third homer.
Génesis Cabrera (1-0) pitched an inning for the win, and and Andrew Miller got three outs for his first save of the season.
Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert homered for Chicago in the second game, but the White Sox had just six hits on the day. Lucas Giolito (1-2) allowed five runs, four earned, and six hits in five innings in the opener.
Dodgers 6, Angels 5 (10)
In Anaheim, California, Chris Taylor scored on Max Muncy’s sacrifice fly in the 10th inning, and the Dodgers rallied to beat the Angels for their season-high fourth consecutive victory.
Mookie Betts hit a tying homer in the seventh and drove in three runs for the NL West-leading Dodgers, who also got three RBIs from Muncy while improving to 9-2 on the road this season.
Mike Trout homered and drove in three runs for the Angels, who have lost three straight and six of eight after dropping the first two in the Freeway Series.
Astros 2, Mariners 1
In Houston, Rookie Cristian Javier allowed one hit over six shutout innings, Yuli Gurriel homered and Houston edged Seattle for its third straight win.
Javier (2-1) struck out five and walked three. He retired 10 of the first 12 batters before Kyle Seager walked and a single by Austin Nola accounted for the Mariners’ only hit off the rookie in the fifth.
Gurriel extended Houston’s lead to 2-0 in the fourth with a solo home run. Jose Altuve gave the Astros a 1-0 lead in the second on an RBI groundout, scoring Yordan Alvarez.
Athletics 7, Giants 6
In San Francisco, Mark Canha hit a go-ahead, three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning and Oakland rallied late for the second straight game, slugging past San Francisco.
Marcus Semien hit a two-run homer and Matt Olson also connected for the A’s, who won for the 12th time in 14 games.
Darin Ruf put San Francisco ahead 6-3 with a three-run shot in the seventh before the bullpen squandered it again.
Trevor Gott (1-1) surrendered Sean Murphy’s leadoff homer in the ninth that started the latest A’s rally and a one-out double to Tony Kemp before walking Matt Olson, bringing up Canha.
Rangers 6, Rockies 4
In Denver, Kyle Gibson pitched into the seventh inning for his first win with Texas and newly signed Derek Dietrich hit a two-out, three-run home run in the eighth as the Rangers won their fouth straight.
Shinn-Soo Choo had three hits and two RBIs and Jose Trevino also had three hits for the Rangers, who ensured their third straight series win.
Trevor Story had three hits and Tony Wolters had a two-run double for the Rockies, who have lost five of six since an 11-3 start. Charlie Blackmon broke out of an 0-11 run at the plate with an eighth inning triple, leaving his batting average at .438.
Gibson (1-2), went 6⅓ innings and allowed two runs on seven hits. He struck out two and walked one in his first career appearance against the Rockies. Rafael Montero worked the ninth for his fifth save.
Orioles 7, Nationals 3
Brewers 6, Cubs 5 (10)
Phillies 6, Mets 2
Twins 4, Royals 1 (first game)
Royals 4, Twins 2 (second game)
Indians 3, Tigers 1
Source : Baseball – The Japan Times