MEXICO CITY -- Staring at a five-run deficit, the Diamondbacks turned to one swing from Tim Tawa -- and pulled off a stunning 12-7 comeback win over the Padres at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú on Sunday to close the Mexico City Series.
Trailing 7-2 in the bottom of the seventh, the Diamondbacks erupted. Three consecutive one-out singles from José Fernández, Nolan Arenado and Alek Thomas loaded the bases for Tawa, who crushed a 97.2 mph sinker from David Morgan into left field for his first career grand slam. The drive, at 100.1 mph off the bat and traveling a Statcast-projected 363 feet, trimmed the deficit to one run.
The Diamondbacks kept the pressure on with Ildemaro Vargas adding a double and Corbin Carroll drawing a walk. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. followed with a double to left field, driving in both runners to take the lead.
Arizona’s offense was powered entirely by home runs coming into the seventh. Fernández got the D-backs on the board in the fifth inning, lining an 82.3 mph sweeper from Michael King over the left-field wall. The solo shot, his third of the season, came off the bat at 103.1 mph and traveled 409 feet.
Vargas, the team’s leader, who entered with a .351/.368/.649 slash line, added another big swing for his sixth homer of the season, launching a 91.4 mph sinker to right field in the sixth. The home run extended his MLB-leading hitting streak to 20 games this season -- and 23 dating back to Sept. 26 of last year.
A déjà vu inning occurred in the bottom of the eighth when Fernández, Arenado, and Thomas loaded the bases once again. This time, however, Vargas was the one with the hit, a bases-clearing triple to right field. Ketel Marte then singled on a ground ball to right, scoring Vargas.