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Diamondbacks survive slugfest with Padres
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Arizona's Adam Dunn rounds second after hitting a three-run home run in the first inning against the San Diego Padres in Chase Field.
Julio Jimenez, Tribune
Jake Peavy gives up four-run leads about as often as snow falls in the Valley, so pardon Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin for believing the game was out of reach even before his team had stepped in the batter’s box.
But this is the new Adam Dunn-led Arizona offense, one with plate patience and pop.
Dunn hit a laser over the right field wall for a three-run homer in the first, and Arizona scored three more runs in the second inning in an eventual 8-6 win on Wednesday at Chase Field.
Slide show: Diamondbacks vs Padres
Arizona walked eight times in the game, putting pressure on San Diego pitchers the entire way despite just six hits.
“You really don’t expect to score a lot of runs against one of the game’s best pitchers,” Dunn said. “When they jumped out ahead 4-0, we knew we had to crawl back. It was pretty great.”
A matchup of Dan Haren and Peavy had fans envisioning a pitcher’s duel.
“We were thinking the same thing,” Melvin said.
But 10 runs in the first two innings squelched that notion and turned it into a slugfest.
“I was very stunned,” Dunn said. “That’s two of the game’s best battling it out. You definitely don’t see that happen too often.”
Haren figured the game was over after San Diego pounced early. Jody Gerut hit the first pitch of the game into the left-field gap for a double, followed by a So Taguchi ground-rule double to right for a 1-0 lead. Adrian Gonzalez singled to make the score 2-0, and Kevin Kouzmanoff punctuated the inning with a two-run homer. “I didn’t like my chances,” Haren said.
San Diego was extremely aggressive early, pouncing on Haren’s offerings. He threw 27 pitches in the first inning, 25 of which were strikes.
“Teams know he’s a strike thrower, and he’ll make the adjustment (next time out),” Melvin said.
Dunn’s homer cut the deficit to one, a Chris Snyder second-inning home run tied it, and Conor Jackson put Arizona ahead for good with a two-run single later in the inning.
San Diego crept back to 6-5, but Mark Reynolds scored two with a double in the eighth for an 8-5 cushion.
Jon Rauch saved the game one day after closer Brandon Lyon gave up three runs in a third of an inning, but Melvin said it was simply a day off for his closer.
Rauch gave up a solo home run to Jody Gerut with two outs in the ninth, but Taguchi grounded out to end it.
Arizona (66-60) is two games ahead in the NL West chase after the Dodgers lost.
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