By DANIEL DULLUM
Sports Radio Service
Friday, August 28, 2015

PHOENIX, Arizona – Not every player advances to first on a missed third strike and hits a home run in the same game. But then, Arizona’s Paul Goldschmidt isn’t like every other player.

When Goldschmidt advanced on a passed ball after striking out in the sixth inning, he helped spark a game-tying rally. In the seventh inning, the All-Star first baseman cranked an estimated 486-foot two-run homer that capped a four-run go-ahead rally that gave the Diamondbacks a 6-4 interleague win Friday over the visiting Oakland Athletics.

“It was a slider on a 3-2 count,” Goldschmidt said. “I was just trying to put a ball in play. I got a slider, it’s a little slower pitch and he got it over the middle of the plate.”

On reaching base on a dropped third strike, Goldschmidt said, “It’s just baseball. That’s the rule since I was 12 years old. Most of the time, your momentum is already going toward first.”

Chris Owings led off the Arizona seventh with a double down the left-field line off A’s starter Sonny Gray (12-6). Aaron Hill, pinch-hitting for pitcher Randall Delgado, laced a double to the gap in right-center, scoring Owings.

After Nick Ahmed’s sacrifice bunt and reliever Pat Venditte stuck out Ender Inciarte, A.J. Pollock’s RBI single scored Hill. Goldschmidt followed with his 26th home run of the season.

With that titanic blast, Goldschmidt moved into fifth place on the Diamondbacks all-time home run list with 108 career round-trippers, passing Justin Upton (108). He needs two more to tie Mark Reynolds for fourth.

In the Oakland ninth, Brett Lawrie’s two-run home run chased reliever David Hernandez. Former A’s closer Brad Ziegler came on and coerced Marcus Semien to hit into a game-ending 6-4-3 double play, snagging his 24th save of the season.

Lawrie is 14-for-31 (.452) in his last eight games.

“His month has been phenomenal,” A’s Manager Bob Melvin said of Lawrie. “You don’t see too many balls hit that far in this park. That home run gave us a fighting chance.”

Oakland broke through with a pair of runs off D-Backs’ starter Chase Anderson in the top of the third inning to take a 2-0 lead. Marcus Semien hit a one-out double, moved to third on Sonny Gray’s groundout to second and scored on a single to left by Billy Burns. Mark Canha followed with a double down the left field line that bounced around enough in front of the bullpen to allow the speedy Burns to score from first.

The Diamondbacks tied the game with two unearned runs in the sixth. After Inciarte led off with a walk and moved to second on a passed ball, Paul Goldschmidt struck out, but the third strike got away from A’s catcher Stephen Vogt, allowing the D-Backs slugger to advance to first and move Inciarte to third.

“That pitch, I believe, was a slider to Goldschmidt,” Melvin said.

“I started swinging, I saw (Vogt) dropped it and saw the ball bounce away,” Goldschmidt said. “It took off and fortunately, it kept rolling and let me get to first. It helped that the pitch was off the plate and outside, so I’m already going that way toward first. It was easier to see rather than a fastball down and in.”

David Peralta followed with a line drive double to right-center, scoring Inciarte and moving Goldschmidt to third. A’s right fielder Josh Reddick caught Wellington Castillo’s shallow pop foul, but his throw home was wide of the plate, allowing Goldschmidt to score from third.

“Josh’s throw looked like it was off line. The angle was a little different because he caught it in the stands before he threw it in,” Melvin said. “It looked like it was going to be to the other side of the plate. If he feels he can throw him out, and we’ve seen what Reddick can do, he did have a chance.”

Each team collected eight hits. Semien (with two doubles) and Danny Valencia each had two hits for Oakland, while Jake Lamb went 2-for-4 for the D-Backs.

Delgado (5-3) struck out one in a scoreless sixth inning to pick up the win in relief. Anderson gave up two earned runs on five hits in six innings.

Gray surrendered four runs – two earned – along with five hits in 6 1/3 innings. He also struck out five and walked two while throwing 98 pitches.

“Sonny threw more changes than he usually does,” Melvin said. “At times, Sonny goes out there with different stuff. This night was one of them. He probably didn’t have his best fastball, velocity-wise. But he threw a lot of cutters, a lot of changeups, and did what he needed to do to get outs.”

Both clubs are essentially out of playoff contention. The Athletics (55-74) have been mired in the American League cellar for much of the season, while Arizona hovers near .500 (63-65).

A’s ACORNS: After Friday’s game, the Athletics recalled RHP Aaron Brooks from Triple-A Nashville, and optioned INF Max Muncy to the Sounds. Manager Bob Melvin said Brooks will likely start Saturday’s game. … Earlier, the A’s announced that 1B Ike Davis underwent successful arthroscopic left hip surgery Friday to repair a torn labium. … The A’s are 8-7 in interleague play this season, 4-6 in their last 10 interleague games going into this weekend. … Oakland pitchers are hitting a collective .143 (2-for-14) in interleague action at National League parks this season. … This was the first game in which A’s Manager Bob Melvin faced Arizona skipper Chip Hale as opposing managers. Hale served as a coach under Melvin both with Arizona and Oakland.

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