The Arizona Diamondbacks clinched a 5-4 victory against the Toronto Blue Jays, thanks to a walk-off sacrifice fly by Geraldo Perdomo that brought Corbin Carroll home from third base at Chase Field on Friday.
Perdomo launched a high fly ball off Toronto’s Chad Green down the left-field line to former D-backs outfielder Daulton Varsho, who faced the daunting challenge of throwing out Carroll at home.
This win marks the fifth walk-off victory for Arizona this season and elevates the Diamondbacks (48-47) above a .500 record for the first time since April 5.
“My approach was simple: win the game,” Perdomo joked. “I told Justin (Martinez) before that. I mean, I was joking, but God heard me. I’m glad I won the game for the boys.”
Green’s performance included walking Carroll to start the ninth inning, striking out Gabriel Moreno, and walking Ketel Marte. Carroll and Marte then pulled off a double steal, leading Toronto to intentionally walk Christian Walker and load the bases for Perdomo.
Perdomo delivered his first-ever walk-off hit. “It wasn’t my best swing,” he admitted. “So I’m happy Corbin was on third base.”
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Alek Thomas Ties the Game
Alek Thomas also played a crucial role, tying the game with a two-out, two-run single in the eighth inning. Toronto’s Trevor Richards had walked two batters and thrown a wild pitch, moving them into scoring position.
Thomas, anticipating a change-up but reacting to a fastball, flared the ball into left field, just out of Varsho’s reach. Known for his clutch performances, Thomas said his experience from last year’s postseason helped him stay calm. “The moments in the playoffs from last year have helped ease the calm a little bit and be able to take a deep breath and relax this year,” he explained.
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Ryne Nelson’s Quality Performance
In the postgame celebration, Perdomo awarded the victory vest to Ryne Nelson, who delivered a quality start, allowing the D-backs to stay in the game. Nelson pitched seven innings, giving up three earned runs, striking out five, and walking none. He exited the game with Arizona trailing 3-2.
“I felt like everything was working tonight,” Nelson said. “The fastball command was there and the sliders felt really good. The adjustments we’ve been making have been paying off, and I feel like I’m in command of my stuff. … This team is super fun. I think that we play together and good things happen.”
Nelson has pitched at least 6.0 innings in six of his last eight starts and has a 3.92 ERA over his last 10 games, with the D-backs winning six of those.
Toronto added an insurance run in the eighth inning off Bryce Jarvis with a sacrifice fly by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., bringing their lead to 4-2. However, Jarvis managed to escape the inning with a double play from Justin Turner, which was pivotal to Arizona’s comeback.
Justin Martinez then pitched a flawless ninth inning, setting the stage for Arizona’s walk-off opportunity.
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The Diamondbacks had previously hovered around a .500 record at 8-8, 9-9, 38-38, 45-45, and 47-47 in their quest to break even. This victory places Arizona one game back of a wild card spot, with two games remaining before the All-Star break.
“When you don’t have your rotation early in the season, seeing a team play like this and be over .500 is pretty impressive,” Perdomo remarked. “We just need to continue like that, so when those guys come back, this team is gonna be more scary.”
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