The Sports Xchange
Sep 27, 2017
PHOENIX -- Arizona right fielder J.D. Martinez tied the National League record for homers in September and the Diamondbacks scored three runs in the ninth inning for a 4-3 walk-off victory over the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field on Wednesday.
Martinez led off the ninth inning with a solo homer, his 16th blast of September, to close the deficit to 3-2 and tie Ralph Kiner for the league record for homers in the month.
Jake Lamb and A.J. Pollock followed Martinez's homer with singles off Sam Dyson (3-3), putting runners on first and third, before pinch-runner Kris Negron was thrown out at home on a grounder to second baseman Joe Panik.
After a double steal, pinch-hitter Jeremy Hazelbaker was intentionally walked. Shortstop Brandon Crawford threw late to the plate on John Ryan Murphy's grounder as the tying run scored, and David Peralta walked with the bases loaded to force in the game-winner in the Arizona's eighth walk-off win of the season.
Lamb hit his 29th homer for the Diamondbacks (92-68), who have won five of seven.
J.J. Hoover (3-1) retired both men he faced in the ninth inning for the victory.
Martinez has 45 homers, 29 with Arizona. Babe Ruth and Albert Belle hold the major league record for homers in September with 17.
San Francisco first baseman Pablo Sandoval had two doubles and two RBIs for the Giants (62-97), who opened their season with a walk-off loss in Arizona. Sandoval is hitting .407 with four doubles and 10 RBIs in his last eight games.
Denard Span added three hits, finishing a homer short of the cycle, and scored two runs.
Giants right-hander Jeff Samardzija gave up one run and four hits in six innings while striking out four and walking one. He finished the season with 205 strikeouts, second only to his career-high 214 set with the Cubs in 2013.
Span tripled on the fourth pitch of the game before Panik walked and Sandoval doubled to center field for a 1-0 lead. Panik scored on Crawford's groundout for the second run of the inning.
Span doubled to open the third and scored on Sandoval's second double to make it 3-0.
Arizona right-hander Braden Shipley gave up four hits and three runs in 3 1/3 innings. He struck out two and walked two.
Shipley started when Zack Greinke was pushed back to Friday, the better to position him for a start in the wild card game Oct. 4.
NOTES: Giants RHP Matt Cain said Wednesday that his start at home Saturday will be the last of his career unless "something super crazy happens." Cain won 104 games and three World Series titles in 13 seasons with San Francisco after being the Giants' first-round pick in 2002. He will be 33 Sunday. ... Arizona LHP Robbie Ray will start the final regular game at Kansas City on Sunday, manager Torey Lovullo said, adding that the start would not preclude Ray from pitching in the NL wild card game Wednesday behind starter RHP Zack Greinke if necessary. ... Arizona starters LHP Patrick Corbin and RHP Zack Godley will be used out of the bullpen this weekend, Lovullo said, with Corbin piggy-backing off Greinke on Friday and Godley piggy-backing off RHP Taijuan Walker on Saturday.