Corbin Carroll hit a two-run, walk-off home run with one out in the ninth inning on Monday night, lifting the Arizona Diamondbacks to an 8-7 victory over the Miami Marlins and keeping pace in the tight National League playoff race, according to the Associated Press.
Carroll Ends Slump With Ninth-Inning Decider
According to the Associated Press, Carroll pulled a splitter from Miami relief pitcher Jack Ralston over the right-field wall for his 21st home run of the season. The dramatic blast capped a late-inning comeback that saw the Diamondbacks erase a three-run deficit in the final frames. The moment offered a major lift for the star outfielder, who has worked through a difficult stretch since the All-Star break featuring a .214 batting average, as reported by the Associated Press.
The victory keeps Arizona within striking distance in the standings. According to the Associated Press, the Diamondbacks sit 2 1/2 games behind the San Diego Padres—who have won eight straight games—for the final National League wildcard spot.
Ninth-Inning Drama and Relief Struggles
Miami closer Pete Fairbanks ran into trouble immediately in the ninth inning, opening the frame by walking Gabriel Moreno and throwing a pitch to Geraldo Perdomo before departing due to an apparent injury, according to the Associated Press. Ralston took over on the mound, successfully executing a sacrifice bunt with Perdomo before surrendering Carroll’s game-winning shot just inside the right-field foul pole.
The late heroics followed a crucial eighth-inning home run by Jordan Lawlar, who launched a two-run shot off Tyler Zuber to trim the Miami lead to 7-6, according to the Associated Press.
Starting Pitching Outings and Early Deficits
Arizona starter Corbin Burnes labored through his second outing since returning from Tommy John surgery on September 8, allowing five runs over 4 2/3 innings, according to the Associated Press. Burnes surrendered back-to-back home runs to Jakob Marsee and Javier Sanoja during the shaky start.
On the other side, Miami right-hander Sandy Alcántara yielded four runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out six batters across five frames, according to the Associated Press. Alcántara ended his night by working out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam by striking out Nolan Arenado and getting Tim Tawa out on a fly ball. With that appearance, Alcántara reached 205 innings pitched this season, leading all of Major League Baseball.