Jordan Montgomery had a solid start to the season, pitching well for six innings in his first game. Blaze Alexander’s grand slam helped the Arizona Diamondbacks secure a 17-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Friday night.
With the game tied at 2-1, Arizona had a big fifth inning. They scored three runs, hitting three consecutive two-out hits against Blake Snell, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner. Christian Walker, Eugenio Suárez, and Randal Grichuk all contributed to the scoring.
Grichuk’s double brought in two runs, extending the Diamondbacks’ lead to 5-1 and forcing Snell out of the game. “It was exciting to see hit after hit,” said Alexander.
Montgomery, who recently signed a one-year, $25 million deal with the Diamondbacks, pitched well, giving up only one run and four hits in his 78 pitches. He had no walks and three strikeouts.
“I felt good being out there with the team,” Montgomery said. “My velocity was a bit lower than usual, but considering it was my first real game since spring training, I’m happy with my performance.”
The Giants were hoping for their first three-game winning streak of the season, but Snell struggled once again. He allowed nine hits and five runs in 4 2/3 innings, bringing his total runs allowed in his first three starts with the Giants to 15.
“They were attacking early,” Snell noted. “Even the patient hitters were swinging sooner than usual, which I expected. It played out how I thought it would, but I need to execute better and have stronger sequences for better outcomes.”
Giants manager Bob Melvin observed that Snell seemed strong early on but faded later in the game. Snell disagreed, stating he wasn’t tired but acknowledged the need for better sequencing and fastball control.
Jorge Soler’s home run in the fourth inning narrowed the score to 2-1. It was the Giants’ first home run at their home stadium this season, a 410-foot shot.
In the seventh inning, the Diamondbacks scored four more runs against Giants relievers, and Blaze Alexander’s grand slam contributed to a six-run eighth inning, extending their lead to 15-1.
Arizona totaled 22 hits in the game. Giants center fielder Tyler Fitzgerald pitched the ninth inning, allowing two more runs. This was the most runs the Giants had given up in a game since 2019.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo attributed the team’s success to contagious hitting and a relaxed lineup.
“Hitting is connected from one at-bat to the next,” Lovullo explained. “We just needed to keep the momentum going, and our players did a great job of that today.”
