Nolan Arenado’s clutch RBI and a disciplined tenth-inning rally powered the Arizona Diamondbacks past the Boston Red Sox.
Nolan Arenado wasn't out of the Arizona Diamondbacks lineup for long, but he drove what could be called the game's deciding run as Arizona topped the Boston Red Sox in 10 innings, 7-6.
Arenado went 2-for-5 on the night with an RBI and a run. Sure, he struck out three times, but he's still hitting .243 on the year and was able to record his 63rd RBI of the season.
Arizona desperately needed this win after they had dropped three straight coming into the series finale.
In the end, taking three of six games against the Red Sox and Atlanta Braves, with all six coming on the road, feels like a huge win.
Diamondbacks' offense overcomes Brandon Pfaadt's rough start
Not often have Brandon Pfaadt's starts been considered "rough," but this is a game where he allowed five earned runs on seven hits in 5.2 innings.
The worst part of it all? These Red Sox hit three home runs against him. Fenway Park was in for a show during this series finale, but the D-backs' offense wasn't going to let Pfaadt come out of this game with the loss.
Jonathan Loaisiga pitched two crucial innings and his efforts were rewarded with him picking up his fourth win of the year. Now 4-3, Arizona's offense gave him a pair of 10th-inning runs, so while Loaisiga allowed the Red Sox ghost runner to score, it didn't matter as the D-backs had done enough to put him in prime position for the win.
10th inning patience paid off
Red Sox reliever Jovani Moran simply couldn't find the strike zone, and the Diamondbacks weren't chasing.
Moran, 29, is a left-handed pitcher who's only lost three games this season. Most importantly, he hadn't taken a loss since Saturday, May 23, when he started the season 0-2.
Arizona remained patient, and walks haven't been much of an issue with Moran this season. The Puerto Rican native came into this one with a 2.6 K/BB ratio which is good for his second best in a five-year MLB career.
The 10th began with a sacrifice bunt on just the second pitch and then Arenado's infield single was good enough to score Gabriel Moreno.
From there, these D-backs drove three straight walks. Despite being stuck in a 3-2 count, Jose Fernandez remained patient, and it resulted in an RBI.
The Diamondbacks are able to enjoy Thursday, Aug. 20 off as they now sit at 67-61 while the Red Sox fell to 68-59.
