Brandon Pfaadt’s highly anticipated major league debut had a few rough patches but the offense more than made up for it, as the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Texas Rangers 12-7 on Wednesday in Arlington, Texas.
The victory snapped a two-game skid for the Diamondbacks, who were led by Christian Walker’s two home runs and five RBIs.
Pfaadt, a touted pitching prospect, went 4 2/3 innings and allowed nine hits — four of which were home runs — and seven runs. However, four Arizona relievers combined for four scoreless innings. Joe Mantiply (1-0) earned the win.
Texas starter Andrew Heaney allowed six runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings, with four walks and five strikeouts. Josh Sborz (0-1) was tagged for the loss after allowing three runs on two hits and a walk in 1 1/3 innings in relief.
Jonah Heim’s second-inning home run briefly put Texas up 1-0 before the Diamondbacks countered.
With two outs in the third, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. drew a walk, putting runners on first and second. Walker followed with a three-run homer, giving Arizona a 3-1 lead.
Josh Jung responded with a solo home run in the fourth to cut the Rangers’ deficit to 3-2.
Heaney’s day concluded in a three-run fifth for Arizona. Ketel Marte laced a two-run homer, followed soon after by Walker’s second home run of the afternoon, once again with two outs.
Pfaadt’s outing ended in similar fashion in the bottom of the inning, as the Rangers went on a five-run tear, taking a 7-6 lead.
Leody Taveras led off with a home run and Travis Jankowski’s RBI double scored Sandy Leon. After a single from Nathaniel Lowe moved Jankowski to third, Adolis Garcia brought him home on a sacrifice fly. Jung then sent a pitch from Pfaadt over the left-center field wall for a two-run homer, giving Texas the 7-6 advantage.
The lead soon evaporated, as Arizona surged in the seventh.
Arizona knotted the score at 7-7 when Emmanuel Rivera’s single scored Corbin Carroll from second. That was the curtain call for Sborz.
With Jose Leclerc on in relief, the D-backs regained the lead on Walker’s bases-loaded walk. Leclerc then surrendered a sacrifice fly to Josh Rojas and an RBI single to Dominic Fletcher as Arizona flipped the momentum and took a four-run lead following Geraldo Perdomo’s RBI double.
Gurriel’s home run in the eighth capped the scoring.
–Field Level Media
