By DANIEL DULLUM
Sports Radio Service
Saturday, July 2, 2016

AP photo: Arizona Diamondbacks Wellington Castillo thanks heaven after belting a three run homer in the eighth inning off San Francisco Giant pitcher Hunter Strickland at Chase Field on Saturday night

PHOENIX, Ariz. – With two on and one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, Arizona catcher Wellington Castillo was merely trying to extend a late Diamondbacks rally. Instead, he wound up capping it with an eventual game-winning three-run homer.

Castillo swung on a fastball from San Francisco reliever Hunter Strickland and parked it in the left-center field seats, driving in Michael Bourn and Jake Lamb to give the Diamondbacks their first lead of the game and a 6-5 NL West victory over the first-place Giants Saturday at Chase Field.

The win snapped a seven-game Diamondbacks losing streak.

Castillo’s 10th homer of the year put the exclamation point on a 2-for-4 night with four runs batted in. Each run of Castillo’s homer was charged to a different Giants pitcher – starter Jeff Samardzija, and relievers Josh Osich and, finally, Strickland.

“It was a two-seamer that didn’t move and obviously he got the best of it,” said Strickland, who was charged with his third blown save of the season. “I was trying to throw it in, trying to get a ground ball.”

Castillo said, “I’ve faced (Strickland) a couple of times and I know he has a pretty good fastball, good sinker, good slider. I was just waiting for something I could put a good swing on. I wasn’t thinking about hitting a homer because his sinker is really good. So I just kept my swing short and tried to put the ball in play.

“On the first pitch, he threw me a slider inside. He went fastball and I fouled it off. He tried to come in with a sinker down and in. I just put a good swing on it.”

Jake Barrett (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth to earn his first major league win. Brad Ziegler retired three of the four batters he faced in the ninth to notch his 17th save of the season.

In the bottom of the eighth, Giants starter Jeff Samardzija gave up a leadoff double to Bourn and retired Paul Goldschmidt on a fly out to right before being pulled. Left-hander Josh Osich walked Jake Lamb on four pitches and gave way to the hard-throwing Strickland (3-1).

Pinch-hitter Jarrett Parker singled off Ziegler to lead off the San Francisco ninth. But Grant Green struck out, Ruben Tejada grounded into a fielder’s choice that erased Parker, and Goldschmidt snared a sharp grounder near first to retire pinch-hitter Conor Gillaspie, sealing the D-Backs’ win.

“This win means a lot, especially here,” Castillo said. “We just have to continue to play really good defense because the hitting is coming along OK. Maybe we have to pitch to contact a little bit more, and stay away from walks.”

Castillo’s homer also erased a quality start by Samardzija, who worked 7 1/3 innings and struck out five without a walk on 94 pitches. Arizona starter Patrick Corbin surrendered all five Giants runs – two earned – on five hits in 5 2/3 innings.

San Francisco generated three unearned runs in the top of the first inning. Buster Posey walked and, following a single by Brandon Crawford, scored while Mac Williamson reached on a fielder’s choice. Crawford advanced to third on an error by shortstop Jean Segura.

After Grant Green struck out, Ruben Tejada drove in Crawford with a base hit, sending Williamson to third. Jeff Samardzija hit into a fielder’s choice to short. Tejada was out at second, but a slow-developing double-play attempt allowed Samardzija to beat the throw to first, allowing Williamson to score.

Arizona got a run back in the third when Corbin doubled and scored when Michael Bourn beat out a double-play relay to first.

The Giants led off the fourth with back-to-back homers by Crawford and Williamson, extending their lead to 5-1. Williamson’s blast easily cleared the left-center field wall and hit the lower left corner of the video scoreboard.

But the Diamondbacks pulled to within 5-3 in the bottom of the fourth on back-to-back run-scoring doubles by Castillo and Chris Herrmann after Lamb led off the inning with a double.

Herrmann’s double struck the center field fence above the 413-foot mark near the yellow home run line, close enough to merit a video review. After an estimated 1 minute and 48 seconds, the original ruling of a double was not reversed.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said, “This is the one we let get away.”

GIANT JOTTINGS: Arizona manager Chip Hale was ejected by home plate umpire Brian Knight in the seventh inning for arguing balls and strikes. It was Hale’s second career ejection. … Paid attendance for Saturday’s game was 30,683 on Paul Goldschmidt bobblehead night. … Giants OF Denard Span had the night off (neck stiffness) and could return Sunday. … 2B Joe Panik (concussion) is eligible to return on Tuesday. … OF Hunter Pence (DL – hamstring) took on-field batting practice. … Arizona has yet to decide if they’ll place RHP Zach Greinke on the disabled list with a left oblique injury. … the clubs wrap up their weekend series Sunday, with RHP Albert Saurez (3-1, 3.83) on the hill for San Francisco, facing Arizona LHP Robbie Ray (4-7, 4.69).

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