Joc Pederson’s Back-to-Back Homers Propel Diamondbacks to 4-3 Victory Over Pirates

The Arizona Diamondbacks continued their winning streak by claiming their third consecutive victory and their ninth in the last 12 games. The team showed resilience by overcoming a 3-1 deficit in the sixth inning.

Arizona went on a scoring spree, bringing in three runs against pitchers Luis Ortiz and Carmen Mlodzinski. Joc Pederson ignited the rally with a mammoth 453-foot homer. Gabriel Moreno then singled in Christian Walker, tying the game. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. clinched the lead, scoring on a wild pitch.

This an impressive series for Pederson, who hit his second home run in as many games. Pederson celebrated his 200th career homer earlier this week in a stirring 8-6 comeback win in Kansas City.

“We’re gritty,” Pederson stated. “That’s what it takes to be a good team. Sometimes you get knocked down and you’ve got to get up, fight back and finish the game strong. Our team’s doing a great job.”

The victory boosted the D-backs’ record to 54-50, marking the first time they’ve been four games over .500 this season.

Starting pitcher Zac Gallen (8-5) delivered a strong performance until the seventh inning when he walked the first two batters. Reliever Kevin Ginkel skillfully escaped the jam with two strikeouts and a groundout. Ryan Thompson handled the eighth inning seamlessly, and Paul Sewald secured his 16th save in the ninth.

The manager Torey Lovullo remarked, “Just a hard-fought win against a good baseball team. Those are the types of things we’ve been doing a lot lately. We hang in there, duke it out, find a little crack and then string together some good at-bats.”

Pirates pitcher Luis Ortiz threw five innings, conceding three runs on five hits. The Pirates struggled offensively, going 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton reflected, “We had strong at-bats but we didn’t finish. We had first and second in the seventh, then second and third in the eighth and did not have productive at-bats.”

Earlier, the D-backs cut the Pirates’ lead to 3-1 in the third inning when Corbin Carroll led off with a triple and was brought home by All-Star Ketel Marte’s sacrifice fly.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Pirates 1B Rowdy Tellez exited mid-game due to back spasms and was replaced by Connor Joe. The team mentioned that Tellez is day-to-day.

UP NEXT

The D-backs will start RHP Brandon Pfaadt (4-6, 3.74 ERA) on Saturday, while the Pirates will counter with LHP Marco Gonzalez (1-1, 2.70 ERA).

AP MLB

Arizona sports

Phoenix boasts a vibrant sports scene, home to the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, NBA’s Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, and MLB’s Arizona Diamondbacks. These teams bring dynamic energy to their respective arenas across the city.

State Farm Stadium in Glendale hosts the Cardinals, while the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is shared by both the Suns and the Mercury. The Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League also play in Glendale.

Phoenix is also the home of the USL’s Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium.

The city hosts several major sporting events annually, including college football’s Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl, the WM Phoenix Open, and numerous NASCAR events. Cactus League Spring Training also attracts 15 Major League Baseball teams to the Valley each year.