Corbin Carroll homers twice and drives in 6, Diamondbacks blast Blue Jays 12-1
AP Sports Writer
PHOENIX (AP) — Corbin Carroll homered twice and had six RBIs, Yilber Diaz pitched six strong innings for his first big-league win and the Arizona Diamondbacks blasted the Toronto Blue Jays 12-1 on Saturday night.
The Diamondbacks roughed up José Berríos (8-7) to win or split their fifth straight series, scoring five runs on seven hits in four innings against the right-hander. They did it a night after rallying from down 4-2 in the eighth inning to beat the Blue Jays 5-4.
“Some guys are obviously getting real hot,” Carroll said. “Guys are just doing their part and it’s been great.”
Carroll is among the hottest.
The second-year player struggled early in the season, but has been rounding back into the form that earned him last season’s NL rookie of the year. He hit a sacrifice fly in the second inning, a three-run homer in the seventh and a two-run shot in the eighth to put Arizona up 12-1.
“He’s probably been waiting for a night like this,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said.
Eugenio Suárez also hit a two-run homer in the eighth — his third in four games — and the Diamondbacks had 15 hits to win for the 10th time in 14 games.
Diaz (1-0) was sharp all night, keeping the Blue Jays off-balance with a high-90s fastball and hard-breaking knuckle curve. He allowed a run on four hits with two strikeouts and two walks.
The Blue Jays have lost nine of 11.
Diaz had a solid big-league debut, allowing a run on four hits in six innings in a no-decision against Atlanta on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old Venezuelan was sharp again and got the win this time. Alejandro Kirk drove in a run in the second inning on a sacrifice fly, but that was it for Toronto against Diaz.
“He goes out there with great mound presence and executes pitch after pitch,” Lovullo said. “He doesn’t let up.”
Berríos faced traffic on the bases in every inning in his third straight shaky start.
Joc Pederson hit a run-scoring double in the first inning and the Diamondbacks scored two more in the second, on the first of José Herrera’s three singles and Carroll’s sacrifice fly.
Ketel Marte hit a run-scoring single off Berríos in the fourth inning and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. made it 5-1 on an infield hit with the bases loaded.
Berríos allowed at least four runs for the third straight start and three of the four batters he walked ended up scoring.
CAUGHT WILD
Herrera made a rare play in the sixth inning, throwing out Spencer Horwitz on a wild pitch that went to the backstop.
The Arizona catcher had no chance of catching Diaz’s fastball, but the ball caromed hard right back to him. Herrera then wheeled and just got Horwitz at third base.
TRAINER’S TABLE
Blue Jays: RHP Yimi Garcia (elbow) is expected to join the Blue Jays in Arizona this weekend and could be activated Sunday.
Diamondbacks: Gurriel went 1 for 5 on his bobblehead night after being held out of Friday’s game with left shoulder soreness.
UP NEXT
Toronto LHP Yusei Kikuchi (4-8, 4.00 ERA) faces Arizona RHP Zac Gallen (6-5, 3.33) in the series finale Sunday.
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