Diamondbacks down Giants 5-4 For First Win of 2014

The Arizona Diamondbacks finally got back in the win column Tuesday at Chase Field, coming back to down the San Francisco Giants 5-4. As far as I’m concerned, the top of the first inning didn’t actually happen because in the end the first inning didn’t mean anything to the outcome of the game. If you are a fan, and you missed the top of the first, than the game went something like this: We scored twice in the bottom half of the first, the offense hit the Giants bullpen hard…again, and Will Harris and Addison Reed blanked San Francisco the rest of the way.

Of course the reality was much different. Wade Miley was out of it in the beginning giving up an RBI single to Buster Posey. One out later Brandon Belt hit a three-run homer giving the Giants a 4-0 lead. Miley was headed for a disastrous inning, and the D’backs were headed for another loss. It turns out all Miley had to do was settle down and settle in to the flow of the game. For the next six innings he dominated striking out five Giants and allowing no runs. All the momentum shifted the Snakes’ way and the offense capitalized. Paul Goldschmidt doubled home Gerardo Parra to cut it to 4-1 in the bottom of the first, and then one batter later, Martin Prado singled home Goldy to cut the Giant lead in half. The D’backs eventually made it 4-3 in the bottom of the fourth before completing the comeback on an A.J. Pollock RBI double to score Chris Owings.

For once the bullpen didn’t blow the lead, and Reed earned his first save in a D’back uniform. For all the Pollock haters out there, they quickly found out that one game is one game. Pollock was 0-5 on Opening Night, but was the star of yesterday’s game going 3 for 4 with the go ahead RBI. Arizona will go up in the series tonight.

• With his double in the first inning, Goldschmidt extended his hitting streak to 23 games, seven away from Luis Gonzalez‘s franchise record.
• Giants’ Manager Bruce Bochy used his replay challenge in the fourth with one out on pick off attempt by Giants starter Matt Cain on Pollock. First base umpire Chris Guccione called him safe. The call was upheld, and Bochy was out of challenges.
• Later in the inning, the ball scooted away from Posey and Pollock ran for home to score. It appeared that Cain had tagged his foot before it hit home plate. Home plate umpire Eric Cooper called him safe and because Bochy was out of challenges and he couldn’t ask for a review. It was also before the seventh inning, so the crew chief couldn’t either. That ended up being the turning point in the game.

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