Field Level Media
Jul 20, 2021
Eduardo Escobar smacked a two-run homer and Caleb Smith won for the first time since April 29 as the Arizona Diamondbacks notched a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night in Phoenix.
Pavin Smith and Josh VanMeter slugged back-to-back homers to begin the scoring as Arizona won for the fifth time in the past 10 games.
Ke'Bryan Hayes and Bryan Reynolds each had two hits and one RBI for the Pirates, who have lost two straight after winning seven of their previous 10 games. Jared Oliva also had two hits.
Caleb Smith (3-6) was charged with two runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked two.
Joe Mantiply struck out All-Star Adam Frazier with the bases loaded to end the seventh, Noe Ramirez tossed a flawless eighth and Joakim Soria worked out of self-induced trouble in the ninth for his fifth save.
Oliva singled to start the ninth and Hayes singled with one out to put runners on first and second. Reynolds lined out to right before Soria struck out pinch hitter Gregory Polanco to end it.
Arizona's Bryan Holaday reached base three times on two hits and a hit by pitch and Josh Rojas reached three times on two hits and a walk. Escobar and David Peralta also had two hits apiece.
Smith didn't allow a run while he was on the mound, but the left-hander gave up two hits in the seventh and was pulled with runners at the corners and two outs.
Brett de Geus replaced Smith and allowed consecutive run-scoring singles to Hayes and Reynolds. John Nogowski walked to load the bases before Frazier was sent up to pinch-hit and Mantiply entered to fan him on three pitches.
Pirates right-hander Chase De Jong (1-4) served up all three homers while allowing four runs and seven hits over five innings. He struck out six and walked two.
Arizona got the power display going with one out in the second inning when Pavin Smith launched the eighth pitch of the at-bat 403 feet over the fence in right. It was his eighth blast of the campaign.
Three pitches later, VanMeter socked one out to a similar spot in right. The 411-foot homer was his third of the season.
The Diamondbacks added on in the fifth when Kole Calhoun drew a one-out walk and Escobar followed with his 22nd homer, a 368-foot shot to right to make it 4-0.
--Field Level Media