The Arizona Diamondbacks secured a series title on Sunday with an 8-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Christian Walker played a pivotal role, hitting a double for three in the seventh inning, trailing three runs, to take a 7-3 lead. Ketel Marte also contributed, doubling in the seventh to extend his on-base streak to 21 games and scoring on Corbyn Carroll’s double.
Arizona lost the season opener 13-3, but went on to win seven of nine games, including the final two games of the series. Diamondbacks manager Tory Rovuro credited the team’s quality approach for their success. Merrill Kelly pitched five innings with three hits and three runs to lead Arizona to victory.
Pittsburgh made several careless mistakes in the game, committing three errors and five wild pitches. Manager Derek Shelton acknowledged the mistakes, stating, “They’re so athletic that they’ll steal extra bases, whether it’s a stolen base or our mistake.”
Despite the loss, the Pirates are set to play the Texas Rangers in a three-game set starting Monday. Meanwhile, Arizona will face the Los Angeles Dodgers with Tommy Henry on the mound.
Overall, Arizona’s advantage in key situations helped them secure a series win against Pittsburgh. As Rovuro noted, “We had to leave early for the day game in Pittsburgh. He gave me some outs, and we took advantage of that.”