Randal Grichuk hit a two-run home run in the first inning and a solo shot in the fifth to get closer to 300 career homers, and the Arizona Diamondbacks managed to beat the San Francisco Giants 8-7 on Tuesday night. This win was their seventh consecutive road victory.
Grichuk had his 12th career game with multiple home runs and his first one in nearly two years since hitting two for Colorado on September 6, 2022, against Milwaukee.
“He’s hot, and when he’s hot he can carry a ballclub,” manager Torey Lovullo said.
Grichuk’s performance helped Ryne Nelson (10-6) achieve his first double-digit win season in his career, contributing to Arizona’s second win in their last six games. Arizona is currently holding the second NL wild card spot.
“It was a big win for us to kind of get back on that train we were riding for a little bit,” Nelson said.
Matt Chapman hit a home run in the sixth inning, and Mike Yastrzemski’s home run sparked a four-run eighth inning for the Giants. San Francisco had their lowest crowd of the season with 23,545 and lost their third game in a row and fifth out of the last six.
The Giants threatened against Ryan Thompson, who allowed RBI singles to Jerar Encarnacion and Patrick Bailey.
Justin Martinez came in and gave up a run-scoring single to Marco Luciano, who had just been called up from the minors, before getting Luis Matos out on a called third strike.
Martinez then allowed Yastrzemski’s single in the ninth, followed by a one-out RBI double to Heliot Ramos, but he struck out Encarnacion to secure his eighth save, with the tying and go-ahead runs on base.
Corbin Carroll started the ninth inning with a single for his career-best 13-game hitting streak, then stole second and third base. Christian Walker then singled him home for an important insurance run.
“It felt great to help the team,” said Walker, who returned from the injured list after missing over a month with a strained left oblique muscle.
Walker went 1 for 5 in the cleanup spot and will be gradually worked back into regular play.
