Toronto Blue Jays' George Springer scores a run on a sacrifice flyout by Spencer Horwitz in the sixth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks won 5-4 on July 12, 2024, in Phoenix.Rick Scuteri/The Associated Press
Geraldo Perdomo brought home Corbin Carroll with a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning, and the Arizona Diamondbacks rallied to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 on Friday night.
The Diamondbacks jumped above .500 for the first time since a win on April 3, improving to 48-47. Arizona had lost five straight times prior to Friday when it had a chance to push to a winning record.
“It’s foot-on-the-gas time,” pitcher Ryne Nelson said. “Let’s see how far out in front of .500 we can get. I think this team – we can get on a roll and start playing really well.”
The Blue Jays have lost eight of 10.
Arizona trailed 4-2 in the eighth before a two-out, two-run single by Alek Thomas that scored Perdomo and Eugenio Suarez. Both reached via a walk against reliever Trevor Richards and both advanced a base on a wild pitch.
Carroll started the ninth with a walk off Chad Green (2-2). Gabriel Moreno then struck out before Ketel Marte got another free pass. Carroll and Marte executed a perfect double steal and Christian Walker was intentionally walked to load the bases.
Perdomo lofted a fly ball down the left-field line that was caught by Daulton Varsho, but easily scored Carroll, who is one of the fastest players in the big leagues.
“It wasn’t my best swing, but I’m glad that Corbin was on third base,” Perdomo said, grinning. “Thank god.”
Varsho said he thought about letting Perdomo’s fly ball drop considering it was close to foul territory, but couldn’t take the risk after it drifted toward the line.
“That fly ball is spinning in my head right now,” Varsho said. “Because in a dome, there’s no wind, that ball should never have come back that far. I was planning on letting it drop foul and then, hopefully, Chad can get a strikeout. But it came back so far, came back fair, and I was just kind of dumbfounded.”
Richards and Green combined to walk five batters over the final two innings, including four unintentionally.
Carroll’s RBI single in the third gave the D-backs a 1-0 lead. Arizona threatened to get more after loading the bases with two outs, but Yariel Rodriguez froze Perdomo with a full-count breaking ball to get out of the jam.
The Diamondbacks extended their advantage to 2-0 in the fourth on Kevin Newman’s sacrifice fly.
Toronto would rally to tie, scoring one run in both the fifth and sixth innings. Kevin Kiermaier had an RBI groundout and Spencer Horwitz added a sac fly.
The Blue Jays pushed ahead 3-2 in the seventh when Ernie Clement’s sac fly brought home Varsho, who led off the inning with a triple into the right-centre gap. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s sac fly in the eighth made it 4-2.
Varsho returned to Chase Field for the first time since the Diamondbacks traded him to the Blue Jays for Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Moreno following the 2022 season.
Nelson gave up three runs on five hits over seven innings. He struck out five. Justin Martinez (4-1) worked a scoreless ninth for the victory.
Toronto’s Rodriguez gave up two runs on four hits and three walks over four innings, striking out seven.
Perdomo had a standout defensive play in the second inning, diving to catch Alejandro Kirk’s grounder before sitting up and flinging the ball to first for the second out.
Trainer’s room
Diamondbacks: Manager Torey Lovullo says Gurriel was held out of the lineup with left shoulder soreness.
Up next
The D-backs will start RHP Yilber Diaz (0-0, 1.50 ERA) on Saturday. The Blue Jays counter with RHP Jose Berrios (8-6, 3.76 ERA)