6/27 Game Recap: Didi’s Squeeze Allows D’backs to Win in 11

The Arizona Diamondbacks halted their three game losing streak by defeating the Washington Nationals by a score of 3-2 in 11 innings.  Didi Gregorius brought home pinch runner A.J. Pollock with the go-ahead run by executing a suicide squeeze perfectly, reaching safely at first.   Josh Collmenter picked up his fourth victory with a scoreless tenth and Heath Bell notched his 14th working around an Adam LaRoche single in the 11th.  The win gave the Snakes a 9-2 record in games decided by extra frames and also salvaged the final game of the three game set in our Nation’s Capital.

Didi Gregorius’s squeeze in the 11th inning gave the D’backs a 3-2 victory over the Nats. Image: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The starting pitchers lived up to the hype.  The D’backs sent Patrick Corbin to the hill in the hopes of him finally getting him his 10th victory against Stephen Strasburg of the Nats.  Both starters posted similar lines:  7 innings, two walks apiece and each surrendering two-run home runs.  Washington struck first in the bottom of the fourth when Ian Desmond put one in the left center field seats to give the Nats a 2-0 lead.  Aaron Hill answered with a two run dinger of his own in the top of the sixth inning.  Neither team did much of anything else against the young hurlers although Denard Span did make a nice play on a Jason Kubel deep fly in the second frame.   Arizona threatened briefly in the ninth but Cliff Pennington grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.

With today’s victory, the D’backs are now 18-11 in games decided by one run.  It is now off to Atlanta to face the National League East leading Braves in a three game set.  Randall Delgado takes the hill for the Snakes in his return to Atlanta where he will be opposed by rookie sensation Julio Teheran.  First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM EST, 4:05 PM MST.

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