Josh Rojas raced home from second base in the ninth inning when the Padres failed to convert a two-out grounder into a forceout as the Arizona Diamondbacks rallied from a six-run deficit to defeat San Diego 7-6 on Tuesday in Phoenix.
Rojas singled off Padres closer Taylor Rogers (0-4) with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and moved to second on Ketel Marte’s single.
Christian Walker then hit a slow grounder between first and second. First baseman Eric Hosmer fielded the ball and tried to go to second for a forceout on Marte. However, Padres rookie shortstop C.J. Abrams was slow to cover second and couldn’t catch Hosmer’s throw. As Abrams tried to field the ball, Rojas raced home.
Mark Melancon (3-6) pitched a scoreless top of the ninth to get the win.
The Diamondbacks trailed 6-0 before scoring four times in the seventh inning, then pulled level in the eighth on back-to-back RBI hit batters.
Arizona had loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth after a leadoff single by Rojas and back-to-back walks. Reliever Luis Garcia then hit Buddy Kennedy with a pitch to force home Rojas. Rogers entered and hit Carson Kelly with a 1-2 pitch to force in Marte.
Daulton Varsho then grounded into a second-to-home-to-second double play before Rogers struck out Alek Thomas to preserve the tie.
Jorge Alfaro capped San Diego’s six-run fifth inning with a three-run double off Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen.
Luke Voit opened the frame with a single, and Nomar Mazara homered to right to break up the scoreless tie. Ha-Seong Kim followed with a double, moved to third on a single by Abrams and scored on Trent Grisham’s high-hop groundout to first.
Gallen issued back-to-back walks to Jurickson Profar and Jake Cronenworth to load the bases. Alfaro then lined his three-run double down the line in left.
Arizona’s comeback started in the seventh.
Marte singled to open the inning off Padres starter Sean Manaea, who had given up only an infield single through the first six innings. Walker then drew a walk and Kennedy then drove both home with a double into the left-field corner.
Tim Hill replaced Manaea and immediately gave up an RBI double to Kelly, who came around on two groundouts.
Gallen was finished after five innings, having given up six runs on seven hits and two walks with two strikeouts. Manaea worked six-plus innings, allowing three runs on three hits and three walks, with seven strikeouts.
–Field Level Media
