Nolan Arenado homered for the third time in four games and drove in two, Michael Soroka won his fourth straight start, and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 in Phoenix on Friday.
Arenado had two hits, and his two-out RBI single for a 5-2 lead capped a two-run seventh inning kept alive on first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s two-out fielding error.
Soroka (4-0) gave up two runs and five hits in a season-long seven innings, with five strikeouts and no walks. He has one fewer win this season than in the previous five years combined, when he missed extended time with Achilles tendon, arm and shoulder injuries.
Ketel Marte had two hits and scored twice and Corbin Carroll and Jose Fernandez had run-scoring singles for the Diamondbacks, who have won nine of 12.
The D-Backs have won 12 games since March 30. NL West rival San Diego had won 12 in that span entering Friday.
Myles Straw had two hits, including his first homer, and Guerrero had an RBI single for the Blue Jays, who have lost five of six and 11 of 14.
Guerrero singled in a run in the eighth inning to make it 5-3 before Tim Tawa doubled in an insurance run in the Arizona half.
Paul Sewald pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for this seventh save.
Arizona second baseman Ildemaro Vargas singled to extend his season-opening hitting streak to 13 games, the longest such streak in franchise history. He has a 16-game hitting streak dating to last September.
Eric Lauer (1-3) gave up three runs and five hits in three innings, with four strikeouts and one walk. He entered in the second inning after Braydon Fisher pitched a scoreless first.
Straw and Jesus Sanchez singled to put runners on the corners with one out in the fourth before Lenyn Sosa’s sacrifice bunt drove in Straw for a 1-0 lead.
Arenado’s 382-foot homer tied it with two outs in the fourth. Carroll and Fernandez had RBI singles off Lauer in the fifth for a 3-1 lead.
Straw’s homer in the sixth cut the Blue Jays’ deficit to 3-2. Straw entered the game in the bottom of the third to replace center fielder Daulton Varsho, who was removed with left knee discomfort.
–Field Level Media
