PHOENIX (AP) — Kevin Newman and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. each hit two-run doubles and the Arizona Diamondbacks stretched their winning streak to four games with an 8-5 victory over the slumping San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night.
“This isn’t anything that is happening by luck — we’ve been working our butt off to make this moment happen,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “I think the guys are responding to all that extra work and all that extra time that they’re putting in, and we finally get those results. It feels pretty good.”
Arizona received some shocking news earlier in the day, learning reliever Andrew Saalfrank was among five players sanctioned by Major League Baseball for betting on games. The left-hander, who appeared in two games this season before being optioned to Triple-A Reno, was suspended for a year while San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano was banned from baseball for life.
The suspension was a hot topic in the clubhouse, but the Diamondbacks didn't let it affect them on the field.
Newman hit a two-run double off Kyle Harrison (4-3) in the third inning and Gurriel hit his in Arizona's four-run seventh. Gabriel Moreno also finished with two RBIs and Blaze Alexander had three of Arizona's 13 hits.
Kevin Ginkel (4-1) allowed two hits in 1 1/3 innings in his first game since taking a comebacker off the left knee against the New York Mets on Saturday. The right-hander gave up Patrick Bailey's bloop, run-scoring single in the fifth inning, but it was charged to starter Blake Walston.
Paul Sewald closed it out in the ninth, working around a hit batter for his sixth save.
“Offensively, we’re just passing the bat to the next guy and getting on base, grind and trying to take the next base,” Alexander said. “And then you’re getting some big hits and big moments throughout.”
San Francisco missed some early opportunities against Walston, hitting into two inning-ending double plays and failing to score with the bases loaded and one out in the second inning. Pinch hitter Mike Yastrzemski hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning but it was too late for the Giants, who have lost a season-high six straight.
“Just a terrible game by us, especially the early portion of the game,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “When you're going through losing streaks, at least you fight. For the most part we have, but that was an awful game.”
Harrison allowed four runs and a career-high 12 hits in five innings during a loss to Philadelphia his last start.
The left-hander spent the early part of his start against the Diamondbacks watching balls go off his teammate's gloves.
Arizona scored its first run in the third inning on a double by Alexander that skipped off shortstop Casey Schmitt's mitt. The next two came on Newman's double off third baseman Matt Chapman's glove and Moreno followed with a sacrifice fly.
Those were ruled hits, but a fielding error by Schmitt in the next inning set up Alexander's run-scoring single that put the Diamondbacks up 4-1.
“We just looked like we were running around in quicksand for a while,” Melvin said.
Arizona broke the game open in the seventh inning off Luke Jackson with Gurriel's two-run double sandwiched around run-scoring singles by Moreno and Randal Grichuk.
TRAINER'S TABLE
Giants: 2B Thairo Estrada went 0 for 4 and was hit by a pitch after missing three games with a jammed thumb suffered Friday against the Mets.
UP NEXT
Giants RHP Jordan Hicks (4-2, 2.70 ERA) will face Diamondbacks LHP Jordan Montgomery (3-3, 5.48) in the middle game of the three-game series.
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