Wednesday, July 21, 2021 03:40 PM (ET)

Pavin Smith, Daulton Varsho go deep as Diamondbacks sweep Pirates

Field Level Media
Jul 21, 2021

Pavin Smith and Daulton Varsho hit back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 6-4 victory on Wednesday in Phoenix and complete a three-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The two solo homers helped Arizona match a season best with four straight wins. Pittsburgh leaves Arizona with a four-game losing streak.

The Pirates tied the score at 4 with a bases-loaded walk in the top of the seventh, but Smith and Varsho hit their homers to right field to lead off the bottom of the inning against Duane Underwood Jr. (2-3).

Arizona protected the lead and Joakim Soria pitched a perfect ninth for his sixth save, all coming this month.

Nick Ahmed led the Diamondbacks' 12-hit attack by going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Bryan Reynolds went 3-for-4 for the Pirates, who had 11 hits.

Pittsburgh took the initial lead in the second on a RBI single by Jared Oliva that scored Gregory Polanco.

Arizona tied the score in the bottom of the inning on a two-out single from Bryan Holaday. In the third, Josh Rojas scored on a double to right by David Peralta to give the Diamondbacks a 2-1 lead.

In the fourth, Pittsburgh took advantage of a two-base error from third baseman Eduardo Escobar to score twice and take a 3-2 lead.

Oliva sent a shot down the line that Escobar couldn't make a play on and Jacob Stallings and Kevin Newman came home as Oliva ended up at second.

Arizona would come right back in the bottom of the inning, tying the score on a double to right from Ahmed and then taking the lead when Austin Davis walked Kole Calhoun with the bases loaded.

The Pirates loaded the bases with one out in the seventh and tied the score again when Brett de Geus (2-0) walked John Nogowski on four straight pitches. Stallings followed by bouncing into an inning-ending double play.

--Field Level Media

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