D-backs match 2 Reds' rallies, walk off on WP

August 27th, 2016

PHOENIX -- After the D-backs blew a lead in the ninth inning and had to rally after falling behind in the 10th, scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 11th to lift Arizona to a 4-3 win over the Reds in the series opener at Chase Field on Friday night.
"I was just looking for a ball in the dirt, and that's what he threw," Drury said. "You've got to be ready for a ball in the dirt and any time it goes to the backstop, you've got to score on that play."
Drury hit a one-out double to left field off Cincinnati right-hander (5-3), then advanced to third on a groundout. After walked, Drury came home for the winning run when the first pitch Wood threw to bounced to the backstop. (1-2) notched his first career win, pitching a scoreless top of the 11th.
and hit consecutive one-out singles in the 10th, each moved up a base on a balk by D-backs reliever and Schebler scored Cincinnati's go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly. But Arizona tied it at 3 in the bottom of the inning after walked, moved to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a balk, and scored on a fielder's choice. The Reds have dropped four of their last five games.
"It's a tough one to swallow," Reds manager said. "There's a game out there to win and we weren't able to get it done."
D-backs reliever blew a save opportunity after allowing three straight two-out singles in the ninth, with 's knock to right tying the game at 2. Arizona let a ninth-inning lead slip for the third time in five games -- but has won all three of them.
Offense bails out D-backs' bullpen again
Reds starter struck out a career-high 12 batters over six innings, allowing two runs on three hits and lowering his August ERA to 2.67. D-backs starter pitched seven innings of one-run ball, allowing four hits and four walks.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Weeks' contact: D-backs veteran left fielder completed the more difficult half of the cycle by the end of the fourth inning. In the second, he hit his first triple since June 21, 2014, later scoring on a Drury single. Weeks broke a 1-1 tie with a two-out solo homer in the fourth, which traveled 429 feet according to Statcast™. It was his 21st career homer against the Reds, the most he has against any opponent in his 13-year career.

Racking up K's: Finnegan established himself quickly and struck out his first four batters and five of the first six, especially while utilizing his improved changeup. Through four innings, he already had eight strikeouts. The last Reds pitcher to notch 12 strikeouts in a game was on Aug. 23, 2015. Finnegan's opponents are 4-for-43 (.093) against him in his last two starts, totaling 13 innings. The left-hander noted that he did not feel good about his stuff throwing in the bullpen pregame.
"I think I threw the worst 'pen of my life before the game. Luckily it turned around on the mound," Finnegan said. "I had every pitch working for me and I was staying in the zone and hitting spots. That was it."

Welcome back, A.J.: D-backs center fielder played in his first game of the season after fracturing his right elbow in an exhibition game on April 1. Pollock went 0-for-5, driving in the tying run in the 10th on a fielder's choice. He made all the routine plays defensively, also making a nice lunging grab to rob of a hit in the fourth.
"It's just good to be back out there with the team and to get the win was huge," Pollock said. "It's like for Opening Day for me, you've got to get all the first stuff out the way. It was good to get out there, it wasn't pretty, but move onto tomorrow with a 'W' behind us." More >

Last strike success: The Reds were twice down to their last strike in the top of the ninth against Hudson. Pinch-hitter started the rally by hitting a full-count pitch for a single to center field. Following 's first-pitch single, Peraza turned an 0-2 count to a 3-2 count before punching an opposite-field RBI single to right field to tie the game at 2.
"It's kind of hard because we lost the game," Peraza said via translator Julio Morillo. "At the moment, I was focused 100 percent on that at-bat. It was that moment when everything was right. We didn't win but in the moment I got the base hit and we tied the game." More >
REPLAY REVIEW
When stole second base with two outs in the eighth inning, the Reds challenged the safe call by umpire Carlos Torres, thinking Phillips applied the tag on Goldschmidt's back as he slid. But after a brief review, the call was confirmed.

A crew-chief review in the top of the 10th inning confirmed that Suarez was out at third base, tagging up on Cabrera's sac fly. The run still counted because Schebler reached home before Suarez was tagged out.

WHAT'S NEXT
Reds: will be pitching and shortstop is expected back in the lineup when the series continues at 8:10 p.m. ET on Saturday. DeSclafani pitched seven innings in a 4-0 loss to the Dodgers Sunday, allowing all four runs on eight hits, with one intentional walk and six strikeouts. Cozart has not started since Aug. 17 because of knee and Achilles tendon soreness.
D-backs: takes the mound for the D-backs when this three-game set continues on Saturday at 5:10 p.m. MST. Godley (4-2, 5.53) has a 6.57 ERA in two starts since rejoining the starting rotation. Last time out, the right-hander allowed a career-high seven runs in five innings against the Braves.
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