The Arizona Diamondbacks hung on late in the game to beat the San Francisco Giants 8-6 Wednesday night at Chase Field.
Arizona erased a three-run deficit in the game, at one point scoring seven un answered runs.
Taijuan Walker got the win for the D-backs, with Matt Moore taking the loss for the Giants.
Strong debut from Walker
In Walker’s regular season debut, he pitched six innings, surrendering four runs on seven hits, striking out seven and walked one. He is the first starter pitcher this season for the Diamondbacks to pitch six innings in game.
The Giants got to Walker in the second inning on a RBI single from Joe Panik. A Hunter Pence single and a Brandon Crawford sacrifice fly pushed the Giants lead to 3-0 in the third.
Brandon Belt homered to left field in the fifth, tacking on another run for the Giants. To end his night, Walker went 1-2-3 in the sixth.
“The goal for all of us is to go as deep [into the game] as possible to save the bullpen. If I can go six plus [innings] every time I will be pretty happy about it.” Walker told Fox Sports Arizona.
D-backs get contributions from everyone at the plate
Timely and clutch hitting proved to be the difference for the Diamondbacks this game. Chris Owings put Arizona on the board in the third.
In the fifth, an error from Brandon Belt allowed two more runs to score, the D-Backs now down 4-3. A Yasmany Tomás double tied the game at four.
An inning later, Jeremy Hazelbaker was clutch off the bench, bringing home Chris Iannetta on a RBI double. A.J. Pollock singles in Hazelbaker, giving Arizona a 6-4 lead. The Diamondbacks added on two more runs in the seventh, pushing the score to 8-4.
Late inning push from Giants almost derails D-Backs lead
In the eighth inning, the Giants almost changed the complexation of the game, stringing together a total of three straight singles, knocking J.J. Hoover out of the game for the Diamondbacks.
Andrew Chafin came into the game with the bases loaded with one out. Chafin walked the first batter that he faced, brining San Francisco within three runs. He rebounded be striking out Joe Pankik looking on a three-two slider.
Tom Wilhelmsen came in to pitch toattempt the final out. A pitch in the dirt would get away from Chris Iannetta, brining the Giants within two rounds. Wilhelmsen would get Chris Marrero to fly out and in the inning.
Fernando Rodney turned in a clean ninth for his first save as a Arizona Diamondback.
Game Notes
The top of the order has been effective for Arizona. In today’s game, Owings, Pollock and Paul Goldschmidt combined for five hits in 11 at bats, with two RBI’s and three runs scored, with Owings and Goldschmidt walking twice.
Goldschmidt also stole a base in the game, becoming one of five first basemen in major league history with 100 home runs and 100 stolen bases.
Up Next
The two division rivals will meet tomorrow to close out the opening series of the season. Robbie Ray will be sent to the mound for Arizona trying to get the series win. San Francisco will send Jeff Samardzija to the hill, going for the series split.