Diamondbacks Hang On For White Knuckle Victory Over Giants

A furious Giants comeback against the D-backs bullpen falls just short in 8-7 Arizona win.

Sep 3, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Jose Herrera (11) and pitcher Justin Martinez (63) celebrate their team’s 8-7 win over the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images / John Hefti-Imagn Images

The Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Giants 8-7 Tuesday night at Oracle Park in San Francisco. The game was looking like an easy victory with the score 7-2 heading into the eighth inning. But the Giants put up four runs on Ryan Thompson and one more against Justin Martinez in the ninth to make it close.

Randal Grichuk, starting in left field in place of the injured Lourdes Gurriel Jr., homered twice, drove in three, and scored three runs. On August 27th, Grichuk was hitting .261 with four homers and a .735 OPS. His two-run blast in the first inning gave Ryne Nelson an early cushion to work with.

#Dbacks next man up is Randal Grichuk, filling in for injured Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Two run smash to dead center gives Arizona 3-0 lead

pic.twitter.com/kQPmbSwtwy

— Jack Sommers (@shoewizard59) September 4, 2024

During a torrid five-game stretch since then, he's gone 9-for-14 with four homers and a double. He's driven in nine and scored eight times. Grichuk is now batting .284 with a .828 OPS.

Christian Walker, playing in his first game since July 29th, delivered an RBI base hit in the top half of the ninth to provide a critical insurance run. He drove in Corbin Carroll, who had singled and stolen second and third base.

Ryne Nelson tossed 6.2 dominant innings, allowing two runs while tying a career high with nine strikeouts. It was the fourth time he's struck out nine batters since the All-Star break.

He started off slowly, walking the leadoff batter in the first inning, then giving up a double to Tyler Fitzgerald and a sharp line drive sacrifice fly to Heliot Ramos. Nelson retired the next 11 in a row however, and didn't allow his second run until a Matt Chapman solo homer in the 6th inning.

Nelson's outing ended when he made a terrific defensive play on a swinging bunt by Marco Luciano, firing off-balance to Walker. The Gold Glove first baseman made a terrific grab on the throw, barely keeping his foot on the bag.

Nelson left with a 7-2 lead, giving way to A.J. Puk who got a strikeout to end the seventh inning. He got the win, improving his record to 10-6 and lowering his ERA to 4.15.

Martinez picked up his eighth straight save, but it was shaky. Thompson started the eight inning and promptly gave up a homer to Mike Yastrzemski. Three more singles, a walk, a throwing error by Jorge Barrosa, and an RBI bunt base hit by Patrick Bailey followed, chasing Thompson from the game.

Martinez came on and gave up an RBI hit to Marco Luciano before finally striking out the ninth batter in the inning to get out of it. Yastrzemski singled and scored on a Ramos double in the ninth, but Martinez struck out the last two batters of the inning to finally end the game.

The D-backs improve to 78-61 and remain three games clear of the New York Mets who also won their game Tuesday.

Game two of the series is at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday. Zac Gallen will face Hayden Birdsong.