Phoenix, AZ (SportsNetwork.com) – Chris Owings hit his first homer of the
season and Archie Bradley overcame command issues to pick up his second career
win as the Arizona Diamondbacks took down the Texas Rangers, 8-5.
Bradley (2-0) made waves with the first start of his career, when he outdueled
reigning Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw with six innings of one-run ball in a
win over the Dodgers. The young righty then pitched into the seventh inning,
giving up two runs opposed 2014 World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner in a no-
decision.
His third start got off to a rocky start. With two outs in the first inning,
Bradley issued three walks and a hit batter to force in a run. But he settled
down from there, yielding just two hits over six innings.
Arizona quickly erased the 1-0 deficit in the bottom of the first when Adrian
Beltre’s error allowed Ender Inciarte, who led off with a single, to score on
A.J. Pollock’s infield single to third. Paul Goldschmidt grounded out, plating
Pollock to give the D-backs a 2-1 lead.
Another error, this time by Prince Fielder, led to a run in the third inning.
Inciarte reached on the play, moved to third on Pollock’s single and scored
when Mark Trumbo grounded out to third.
Owings padded the lead in the fourth with his solo homer, and Trumbo made it
5-1 in the fifth with a single to center.
Yovani Gallardo (2-2), who had dominated Arizona in his career to this point,
was responsible for all five of those runs, though just three were earned.
Gallardo was 8-0 in 12 career starts against the D-backs prior to Wednesday’s
loss. The highlight of this start was breaking up Bradley’s no-hit bid with a
single in the fifth inning.
Pollock’s sacrifice fly in the seventh made it 6-1, and Arizona put the game
away with two more in the eighth. Owings tripled home Aaron Hill after the
latter walked, and David Peralta lifted a sac fly into right.
Texas made things interesting with a late rally in the ninth. Andrew Chafin
entered the game and swiftly served up a Beltre home run. Shin-Soo Choo then
walked, Robinson Chirinos doubled and Choo scored on Jake Smolinski’s ground
out. Rougned Odor plated Chirinos with his ground out, but Adam Rosales
singled and Chafin was pulled from the game.
D-backs closer Addison Reed came on and Leonys Martin kept the game alive with
an RBI single to right, but Elvis Andrus grounded out to shortstop to finally
end it.
Game Notes
Arizona had lost five straight interleague home games, while Texas had won
five in a row against National League opponents … Arizona finished 0-for-7
with runners in scoring position.
