Phoenix, AZ — The Arizona Diamondbacks extended their winning streak to four games with an 8-5 triumph over the struggling San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night, fueled by clutch hits from Kevin Newman and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., each delivering two-run doubles.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo attributed the team’s success to their dedication and hard work. “This isn’t anything that is happening by luck — we’ve been working our butt off to make this moment happen,” Lovullo said. “I think the guys are responding to all that extra work and all that extra time that they’re putting in, and we finally get those results. It feels pretty good.”
However, the Diamondbacks received surprising news earlier in the day regarding reliever Andrew Saalfrank, who was among five players sanctioned by Major League Baseball for betting on games. Saalfrank, along with four others, faced disciplinary action, impacting the team’s dynamics off the field.
Despite the distraction, the Diamondbacks remained focused on the game. Newman and Gurriel’s doubles, along with Gabriel Moreno’s two RBI and Blaze Alexander’s strong performance, propelled Arizona to victory.
Pitcher Kevin Ginkel returned from injury to make a significant contribution, while Paul Sewald secured the win with a solid performance in the ninth inning.
San Francisco, meanwhile, struggled to capitalize on opportunities early in the game, with their woes compounded by defensive lapses and missed chances with runners on base. Despite a late rally with a three-run homer from Mike Yastrzemski, the Giants’ efforts fell short as they suffered their sixth consecutive loss.
Giants manager Bob Melvin expressed disappointment in his team’s performance, particularly in the early innings. “Just a terrible game by us, especially the early portion of the game,” Melvin remarked. “When you’re going through losing streaks, at least you fight. For the most part we have, but that was an awful game.”
Looking ahead, the Giants will seek to bounce back in the next game, with RHP Jordan Hicks set to face Diamondbacks LHP Jordan Montgomery in the middle game of the series.
