Zach Davies Picks Up First Win in Over a Year
Zach Davies was last credited with a win on May 13th of last year against the Cubs. Since that time he made 24 starts without getting the win. He broke that streak tonight, throwing 6.2 strong innings and allowing just two runs in a 6-2 Diamondbacks victory. Davies' record improved to 1-1 on the season in five starts.
The Diamondbacks jumped on Nationals starter Patrick Corbin for three runs in the first inning with three doubles and a base hit. The RBI knocks came from Emmanuel Rivera and Evan Longoria. Davies then cruised through the first two innings, throwing 22 strikes in 25 pitches. But he ran into trouble in the third inning, falling behind hitters and giving up three straight hits and two runs to allow Washington to close the gap to 3-2.
From there Davies allowed just one single and one walk to the next 15 batters he faced before coming out of the game with two outs in the 7th. He ended up throwing a season high 97 pitches, 66 for strikes while striking out a season high eight batters. He needed to be that good, too because the D-backs were having trouble pushing across runs.
The D-backs had seven more hits and a walk against Corbin between the 2nd and 6th innings, but failed to score. Two outs on base, one by Ketel Marte on a pickoff-caught stealing, and another by Corbin Carroll trying to stretch a single into a double didn't help. The offense was able to get back to work in the top of the 7th though. Longoria delivered his second RBI double of the game to give the bullpen a little breathing room.
Then in the top of the 9th Corbin Carroll iced it with a two run homer to center, his 11th of the year. He had his first four hit game in the big leagues, stole base, and scored three runs to go with the two RBI. He's now batting an even .300 with a .928 OPS. He's also stolen 18 bases while getting caught just twice and scored 43 runs in 59 games played. His on pace numbers are ridiculous, 29 homers, 47 stolen bases, and 112 runs scored.
Asked about Carroll after the game Longoria said, "Man, he's a freak. That's kinda what we say in the dugout. You look at him, and he's a lot in small package. He can do everything. He runs, he throws, he covers a ton of ground in the outfield, and obviously a lot of power in there. He's fun to watch."
Marte and Rivera each had three hits and Christian Walker had two. In all the top five in the order rapped out 14 hits, while the bottom four managed just one hit.
Austin Adams made a really nice play on a dribbler in front of the mound when he came on for Davies, gunning a throw to first to just barely nab the speedy Alex Call. The play was originally ruled safe but overturned on replay review.
Christian Walker made a diving stop to rob a double and save a run in the 3rd inning. In the 8th inning Nick Ahmed ranged far to the right of second base to pick off a slow grounder, and threw a perfect strike moving away from the play to nab Luis Garcia.
Scott McGough worked a 1-2-3 8th inning and Andrew Chafin pitched a scoreless 9th despite giving up two base hits. Chafin has a concerning trend of allowing the first batter faced to reach base. He's allowed six hits and six walks in 28 first batter of game faced, for a .429 first batter on-base percentage. Fortunately today he entered with a clean inning. 12 times he's entered with a runner on base and he's allowed eight of 16 inherited runners to score, something for manager Torey Lovullo to consider going forward.
The Dodgers were walked off for the second straight game and the D-backs now hold a two-game lead in the NL West with a 37-25 record. They will go for the sweep tomorrow morning at 10:05 A.M. Arizona time, 1:05 EST. Merrill Kelly will match up with Josiah Gray in what could shape up into a pitcher's duel.
