The D-Backs’ Daniel Descalso and a TV reporter get doused by David Peralta after Descalso’s single beat the Phillies 2-1 in 11 innings. The win moved Arizona to 48-28.
Descalso’s cool-headed approach helps him deliver his 2nd walk-off win this season as D-Backs edge Phillies in extras
For the second time this year, Daniel Descalso sent the Diamondbacks home with a walk-off hit, giving them the sort of cool-headed at-bat he’s becoming known for amongst his teammates. But he thinks there’s something else behind his ability to come through in those situations.
“They’ve both been in extra innings – I just wanted to go home,” Descalso said, drawing a laugh from reporters after the Diamondbacks beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 on Sunday afternoon.
“That’s why we’re out there playing, to be up with the game on the line, to be able to come through for your team. I’ve been able to do it a couple times this year. That’s fun.”
The Diamondbacks needed three hours, 50 minutes and 11 innings against the worst team in baseball, but, as usual, they found a way. In winning for the 14th time in their past 17 games and for the 28th time in 38 games at Chase Field, the Diamondbacks prevailed
with their usual rotating cast of contributors.
Right-hander Randall Delgado gave them five shutout innings. Paul Goldschmidt drove in the first run of the day. Left fielder Gregor Blanco made a diving catch to save a run. Five relievers turned in scoreless appearances.
But the day’s most memorable sequence came with two out in the 11th inning, when three Diamondbacks hitters managed to do something they’ve talked about doing since the first day of spring training. They linked their at-bats together, each doing their part, and they scratched across a run as a result.
With two out and the bases empty against Phillies reliever Edubray Ramos, Goldschmidt banged a single into center, extending the inning for Chris Owings. The previous night, Owings faced Ramos in the seventh inning. He saw nine pitches, fouled off six of them, and though he wound hitting a ball sharply to third for a ground out, the at-bat paid dividends Sunday.
“I knew what he had going up there,” Owings said, adding, “And, man, I was on every pitch.”
This time, Owings saw 12 pitches from Ramos, fouled off six of them with two strikes, and wound up working a walk to bring Descalso to the plate with the game-winning run in scoring position.
Owings said he jokingly told Descalso that he tired Ramos out for him, but Descalso thought that could have played a part in what happened next. Another benefit of the long at-bat: giving Descalso a chance to hone in on at Ramos’ fastball/slider combo.
“I think when you’re on deck that’s what you’re doing,” Owings said. “You’re trying to get your timing down, and I feel like I gave him a chance to see every single pitch that he had.”
Descalso knocked the second pitch he saw past a diving Ty Kelly at second base and into right field, and Goldschmidt motored home to score.
“That’s something we talked about in spring training in our first hitters’ meeting is trying to link at-bats and not being in a hurry to try to be the one to get the job done,” Descalso said. “Everyone wants to be the one to be up there and get the big hit. … (But) we feel like our lineup is pretty deep that if you take your walk and battle a guy, the guy behind you is going to come through.”
As for Descalso’s cool-under-pressure exterior, he framed it as a matter of perspective.
In moments like that, he said, he asks himself what the worst possible outcome might be. He makes an out? And so what if he does?
“I’ve done that hundreds of times before,” he said. “You can’t let the moment dictate your at-bat. You have to take a deep breath and just try to get a good pitch to hit. That’s the main thing there. You can’t try to speed up and be in a rush to do it. That’s kind of helped me in that approach in those spots.”