Four runs down, two outs, one swing
Ryan Waldschmidt came off the bench as a pinch-hitter and walked away as the hero. The Arizona Diamondbacks rookie launched a hanging slider 124 meters into the left-field seats with two outs in the ninth inning, lifting Arizona to a 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs in Phoenix last night.
The count was 2-1. Tim Tawa had just worked a walk off Jacob Webb with one out. Jose Fernandez, the pinch-runner, had swiped second. Waldschmidt handled the rest.
And it wasn’t his first. On August 7, he had already crushed a two-run homer in the ninth to beat the Dodgers 4-3. Two clutch blasts in the same month, both with his side behind. Not bad for a rookie.
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Seven scoreless innings, then it all came apart
Clay Holmes had thrown seven scoreless innings. Two hits, five strikeouts, two walks. He left the mound with a four-run cushion. Ian Happ had put Chicago in front with a three-run homer in the fourth off Brandon Pfaadt, his third in five games.
Chicago had been on a ridiculous tear: 30 straight runs and 23 straight scoreless innings, dating back to a 2-0 hole against the Mariners on Sunday in a game they won 19-2.
Then the eighth inning flipped everything. Daniel Palencia got the first hitter out, then hit Jordan Lawlar in the head with a 158 km/h fastball. Lawlar walked off under his own power and was replaced by Jorge Barrosa. Lars Nootbaar drew a walk. Gabriel Moreno ripped a double off the first base bag. Geraldo Perdomo drove in two with a single to center. 4-3.
40 comeback wins, and a wild card race that will not settle
Arizona now has 40 comeback wins this season, tied with the Cubs for the best mark in the majors. Justin Martinez struck out two in the ninth to pick up the win in just his third MLB appearance of the year.
Chicago still leads the Philadelphia Phillies by three games for the top National League wild card spot. Seiya Suzuki had two hits and scored twice, while Michael Busch added two hits and an RBI. The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, are back within one game of the San Diego Padres for the third and final playoff place.
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