Carroll’s Ninth-Inning Heroics Not Enough as Rays Walk Off D-backs

Corbin Carroll's ninth-inning home run tied the game, but Tampa Bay walked off with a 5-4 victory over Arizona on Friday.Photo byWinfred BaileyonUnsplash

Corbin Carroll’s electrifying game-tying home run in the ninth inning wasn’t enough to prevent a loss, as Brandon Lowe’s walk-off single lifted the Tampa Bay Rays (60-61) to a 5-4 victory over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks (69-54) on Friday at Tropicana Field.

The defeat snapped the D-backs' six-game winning streak, though they remain 9-2 in their last 11 games.

Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson (8-6, 4.35 ERA) turned in another strong performance, pitching 6 1/3 innings and allowing 5 hits and 1 earned run. He struck out 6 and did not issue a walk over 94 pitches, 70 of which were strikes.

Nelson relied heavily on his four-seam fastball, throwing it 57 times (61%) with pinpoint accuracy. He mixed in his changeup 14 times (15%), cutter 10 times (11%), slider 8 times (9%), and curveball 5 times (5%).

Nelson maintained his velocity deep into the outing, as evidenced by the 96.5 mph fastball he threw on his final pitch of the night.

Game Recap

The Diamondbacks jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first inning, capitalizing on a throwing error by Marlins third baseman Junior Caminero, which allowed Carroll to reach first.

Jake McCarthy followed with a single, and Joc Pederson drove in Carroll with a run-scoring single, putting the D-backs up 1-0. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. then added a two-out RBI single to extend the lead to 2-0.

However, Tampa Bay's Ryan Pepiot overcame a shaky start to settle into a groove. He pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing 5 hits and 2 unearned runs while striking out 5 and walking 1 over 80 pitches.

The Diamondbacks' offense went silent until the ninth inning, when Carroll came through with a clutch, game-tying home run.

With two outs and two strikes, he launched a 94.1 mph fastball into the right-field seats for his 12th home run of the season, knotting the game at 4-4.

In the bottom of the ninth, with the game on the line, D-backs flamethrower Justin Martinez took the mound, replacing Ryan Thompson.

With two outs and Jonny DeLuca on first base, Lowe hit a ground ball up the middle that was deflected by Blaze Alexander. A subsequent fielding error by McCarthy allowed DeLuca to score the game-winning run, sealing the Rays' victory.

Next Starter: RHP Zac Gallen (9-5, 3.69 ERA)

Since the All-Star break, Gallen has been impressive, going 3-0 with a 3.18 ERA (10 ER in 28.1 IP) and recording 23 strikeouts in 4 starts. The D-backs are 5-0 in his last 5 starts and 7-2 in his last 9