Lamb homers twice, D-Backs crush Reds to win series
CINCINNATI — Jake Lamb didn’t know about Arizona’s late pitching change until an hour before the game. His two homers made it a moot point.
Lamb hit a pair of three- run homers , and Patrick Corbin pitched into the eighth inning during an emergency start on Thursday, leading the Diamondbacks to a 12-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
Arizona stabilized itself by taking two of three in the series. The Diamondbacks had dropped eight of nine heading into the set, falling behind Colorado for
55-40 overall 40-55 overall
the second NL wild-card spot.
“It seems like our offense is starting to heat up again, which is good,” said Corbin, who pitched a season-high 7 1/3 innings.
Lamb homered in the first inning off Luis Castillo (1-3) and again in the ninth for a career-high six RBIs. Gregor Blanco and Ketel Marte added two-run shots as the Diamondbacks concluded a wacky series.
They won the opener 11-2 while getting outfielder J.D. Martinez in a trade with Detroit. A day later, Martinez got hit on the left hand by a pitch in his Diamondbacks debut and left with a bruise. He didn’t play in the finale.
Scheduled starter Taijuan Walker was scratched after his wife, Heather, went into labor early Thursday morning. Corbin (7-9) was moved up a day and wound up with his first victory since June 16. The left-hander had gone 0-3 in his previous five starts.
Corbin got a phone call informing him of the switch just as he was about to fall asleep.
“It took me longer to fall asleep,” he said. “It’s a different feeling when you’re pitching the next day.”
Corbin gave up seven hits, including Eugenio Suarez’s homer. The lefthander pitched out of a bases-loaded, no-outs threat in the fourth to hold the lead.
“I’m so proud of the guys fighting through very difficult circumstances in the last few games,” manager Torey Lovullo said . “Nobody did better than Patrick Corbin.”
Suarez homered again off J.J. Hoover in the eighth. Cincinnati fell to 1-6 since the All-Star break — all at home. The Reds allowed 10 or more runs in four of them.
“The problem is clear,” manager Bryan Price said. “Unfortunately, we’ve given up double figures in runs in four of these games. That’s the constant thing. We need to pitch better. It’s a worn-out record. I’m tired of talking about it.”
ANOTHER NEW LOOK
Lovullo went with a different batting order for the second game in a row, giv-