Jake McCarthy was looking for something good to hit. He didn’t get it, but he won the game for the Diamondbacks anyway.
McCarthy slapped a two-run single down the left-field line to drive home the tying and game-winning runs, lifting the Diamondbacks to a dramatic, 4-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night at Chase Field.
The walk-off hit, the first of McCarthy’s career, gave the Diamondbacks’ their ninth consecutive series victory. They remain the hottest team in baseball; they have won 17 of their past 20 games and are 29-10 since June 29.
Their hot streak has put them in the driver’s seat for a playoff spot. Though they remain 3½ games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West, they have a four-game cushion on a wild-card spot.
FanGraphs pegs them as having a 91.2 percent chance of reaching the postseason; those odds were at 17.6 percent on June 28.
Trailing 3-2 in the ninth, the Diamondbacks’ Corbin Carroll laced a one-out triple into the right field corner to start the game-winning rally. Rockies closer Victor Vodnik rebounded by striking out Kevin Newman for the second out of the inning but couldn’t finish the job.
Vodnik issued consecutive walks to pinch-hitter Adrian Del Castillo and Geraldo Perdomo to load the bases, then could not put away McCarthy despite being ahead in the count, 1-2.
The pitch McCarthy hit, clocked at 100.3 mph, was up and out of the strike zone, perhaps both high and off the plate away. McCarthy still managed to ground it into left field, past Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon, who was shifted several steps toward second base.
“Obviously, the pitch I hit wasn’t that good a pitch to hit — 100 above the letters — but I was just at least trying to put it in play there,” he said. “The guy has a really good fastball and I was just trying to see it deep. I was able to flick one to left.”
McCarthy said his hit would get all the attention on highlight shows, but he steered the credit toward Carroll, Del Castillo and Perdomo. Manager Torey Lovullo echoed the sentiment.
“That inning was built because of some team at-bats,” Lovullo said. “That inning was built because guys went up there and really stayed with their plan, stayed stubborn to the pitch they were looking for, didn’t come out of their approach.”
Diamondbacks left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez gave up three runs in five innings in his second start back off the injured list. The bullpen fared well after he departed, with Dylan Floro, Kevin Ginkel, Paul Sewald and Joe Mantiply each turning in scoreless, hitless innings.
“That was a team win,” Lovullo said. “Those are exciting for me. Those are moments where I get that feeling that we’re never out of a game, where we link up one through nine and just power through an opportunity. We let that team give us the chance, and when it was the right time, we took advantage of it. It was a great win.”
—Nick Piecoro
Diamondbacks’ Grichuk hits 10 years’ service time
By appearing in Tuesday’s game, Diamondbacks outfielder Randal Grichuk reached 10 years of major league service time. Lovullo said a celebration was planned for Grichuk in the clubhouse before the game.
“I’ll get the guys together, just make sure they understand what type of accomplishment this is,” Lovullo said. “When you can get to that and say that you’ve accomplished that magic number that all major league players try to get to, it means you’re a really good baseball player.”
Getting to 10 years of service time is meaningful in terms of pension plans for players. They become fully vested with tenure and can start drawing from their plan after they retire from baseball.
Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez reached 10 years earlier this season, and designated hitter Joc Pederson will reach the mark this weekend.
— José M. Romero
Wednesday’s game: Rockies at Diamondbacks, 12:40 p.m., Cox, Ch. 34
Diamondbacks LHP Jordan Montgomery (7-6, 6.37) vs. Rockies RHP Tanner Gordon (0-3, 6.15).
At Chase Field: Montgomery makes his 11th start at home, where the Diamondbacks are 6-4 when he starts. It’s to be his second career start against the Rockies. He was the winning pitcher on Aug. 17, 2022, as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. Montgomery has faced 29 teams in the major leagues in his career, but only the Cardinals and Rockies once going into Wednesday. Gordon was the losing pitcher in his first three starts this season but has improved over his last two. He allowed two earned runs in five innings with seven strikeouts and no walks against Atlanta on Aug. 9 and before that pitched six innings with one run and one hit allowed against San Diego.
Coming up
Thursday: Off.
Friday: At Tampa Bay, 3:50 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (9-5, 3.69) vs. Rays RHP Drew Rasmussen (0-0, 9.00).
Saturday: At Tampa Bay, 1:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly (3-0, 2.43) vs. Rays LHP Jeffrey Springs (0-1, 4.61).
