Nolan Arenado pushed the Arizona Diamondbacks past the Boston Red Sox 7-6 on Wednesday with a tiebreaking broken-bat bloop single over a drawn-in infield in the 10th inning. Jovani Morán took the loss after the pitch that scored Gabriel Moreno and ended Boston’s bid to avoid a series sweep.
The winning play came after Arizona and Boston had already traded enough power to turn the game into an extra-inning grinder. The Red Sox had won their previous two games by blowout, but this one ended with a single after both clubs kept answering each other early and late.
10th inning turns on Arenado
Gabriel Moreno opened the 10th as the automatic runner, and Arenado’s broken-bat bloop single over the infield brought him home for the lead. Jose Fernandez later drew a bases-loaded walk in the same inning, stretching the margin before Boston came back in its half.
Willson Contreras answered for Boston with an RBI grounder off Jonathan Loáisiga in the bottom half, but the Red Sox never got the equalizer. Jovani Morán was charged with the loss and fell to 2-3, the line that matters most after a one-run game is decided in extra innings.
Boston’s power, Arizona’s answer
Mickey Gasper tied the game with a two-out three-run home run in the sixth, and Nick Sogard added a solo home run for his first major-league homer. Jarren Duran also homered for Boston, a reminder that the Red Sox had enough offense to win before the final inning swung the other way.
Arizona countered with Gabriel Moreno’s two-run double in a three-run fifth inning, then got a pinch-hit two-run homer from Lars Nootbar in the sixth off Greg Weissert. That back-and-forth left the game at 5-all after Gasper’s drive and set up the sort of one-run finish that often turns on a single defensive step or a broken bat.
Ketel Marte and Friday starts
Arizona played without All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte for the third straight game. Manager Torey Lovullo said before the game that he still hasn't heard from Marte, and before Tuesday's loss he was told Marte traveled to Phoenix for tests on his left knee.
Brandon Pfaadt allowed five runs in 5 2/3 innings for Arizona, while Payton Tolle gave up all three of his runs in the fifth inning. The Diamondbacks now move on with the sweep avoided, and Friday brings Eduardo Rodriguez at home against Cincinnati for Arizona and Sonny Gray at home against San Francisco for the Red Sox.
