Corbin Carroll's Walk-Off Home Run a "Catalyst" of D-backs' Resilience

The Diamondbacks are reclaiming a familiar identity late in games, partially thanks to Corbin Carroll's clutch moment.

Jul 29, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll (7) celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk off home run in the ninth inning to beat the Washington Nationals at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports / Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

It might not be Corbin Carroll's year, but it was certainly his night on Monday. After falling behind the Washington Nationals 6-0, and going into the ninth inning down 8-4, the Arizona Diamondbacks rallied for a colossal five-run inning, capped off by a historic moment in Carroll's career.

After a leadoff extra-base hit and RBI single from Alek Thomas and Geraldo Perdomo, All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte launched a ball down and in for a two-run shot to pull within one.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. worked a patient at-bat, getting on with a single up the middle to represent the tying run.

Carroll had been left out of the starting lineup, as the Nationals trotted out left-hander Mitchell Parker. But with the tying run at first, manager Torey Lovullo pinch-hit the reigning Rookie of the Year in the cleanup spot.

It was no slouch on the mound, either. Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan was 28-for-31 in saves coming into the contest, pitching to a 2.47 ERA, and even being named an All-Star under a month prior to his disastrous outing in Monday's contest.

Finnegan ultimately picked up five earned runs and the loss, while only recording one out.

After sitting for the first 8 1/3 innings of the game, Carroll ripped into the second pitch he saw--a splitter hanging at the top of the zone--and launched it 110 MPH off the bat to right field, clearing the wall with a laser of a walk-off two-run blast.

It was the first walk-off home run of the young outfielder's career, capping off a nearly unbelievable ninth-inning rally and sending D-backs fans home happy.

The #Dbacks just did that.

What an unbelievable rally that was. pic.twitter.com/gfE1azGCv5

— Alex D’Agostino (@AlexDagAZ) July 30, 2024

Carroll spoke to reporters following his big moment, remaining his ever-stoic, soft-spoken self.

“He’s a two-pitch guy, fastball, splitter. I was looking for a fastball out over the heart of the plate. Not trying to hit a homer in that situation right, got [Joc Pederson] behind me, great hitter, just trying to keep the line moving,” Carroll said.

“First pitch, splitter, coming out in front. I thought I hit a fastball, but I guess it was a splitter because it was 91. At the top of the zone, obviously not where he wanted it, and I was able to capitalize on a mistake."

“I knew I got it really pure, but it was a little low, so I didn’t know right off the bat,” he said.

A year ago, a moment like this for Carroll might have seemed logical, ordinary, perhaps even mundane. Unfortunately for the 23-year-old, his season hasn't gone the way of 2023.

He's hitting just .214 on the year, with a .662 OPS. It's been a struggle for Carroll, despite the constant hard work and efforts to get his swing back to last season's form.

"It's one of the ups, for sure," Carroll said with a laugh when asked if a moment like this could carry through in his future play.

Whether or not Carroll is on his way to a full resurgence, it certainly appears that the D-backs have begun to look like their 2023 selves again.

After beginning the season a miserable 1-38 in games where they trailed by two or more runs in a game, they've gone 5-5 in such instances in the month of July, with last night being the most recent example.

Even in some of the games they've lost, the club has put together late-inning fireworks, coming back from small and large deficits, even when it ultimately fell short.

"We’ve been saying all year. [Hitting coach Joe Mather] said it at the beginning of the last series, we’re never out of a game," said Carroll, "That’s truly how it’s felt. It’s not over until it’s over. We’ve been putting together some really great late-game at-bats, and it just seems like it’s been able to pay off a little bit.”

“Just really excited, just really excited. After a tough one yesterday, it’s huge to be able to come out of today with a win.”

Manager Torey Lovullo called it a "character win," and praised his young outfielder's resolve in the moment despite his rough year.

“For a young player that’s walking through the type of year that he is, there’s so many ups and downs and he’s trying to manage that,” said Lovullo, "I know that he’s such a team player, when he’s not performing up to the standard that he has set, I know that it bothers him."

“I want him to go out and have the best two months of his life. He’s very capable of doing that, and this could be a really good catalyst to push him in that direction.”

It's not to say that Carroll has been completely without value to the D-backs this season. Despite the low average, he's slugged .627 in his last 15 games, and gotten on base at a .339 clip, with seven walks and five stolen bases.

Hopefully for Arizona, Carroll's clutch moment in last night's contest is a spark that helps return the young outfielder to a modicum of consistency. But regardless, the D-backs are now one win closer to a playoff spot, off the bat of the 2023 Rookie of the Year.

At any rate, the Diamondbacks are answering back again, winning games they have no business staying in and putting up late-inning fights at a rate closer to what they've been known for.

“For him to run around the bases, I got a chance to watch him smiling as he was doing it. It was pretty awesome,” Lovullo said.