Peralta’s 9th-inning single lifts D-backs past Athletics
PHOENIX – David Peralta slapped a bases-loaded single through the right side of the infield with one out in the ninth inning to push the Arizona Diamondbacks past the streaking Oakland Athletics 4-3 on Monday night.
The Diamondbacks won their fifth straight game and are above .500 for the first time this season. They needed the ninth-inning rally after blowing a late lead.
The A’s trailed 3-1 going into the eighth but came back to tie it after loading the bases with one out. Matt Chapman knocked in one run with a sacrifice fly to deep right field and then Gold Glove shortstop Nick Ahmed committed a stunning error on Matt Olson’s shallow pop fly to left, dropping the ball and allowing the tying run to score.
Ahmed quickly made up for his mistake, smacking a leadoff double to left field to start the decisive ninth-inning rally. Kole Calhoun went down on strikes for the first out, Ketel Marte followed with a single and the A’s intentionally walked Starling Marte to load the bases.
That matched left-handed reliever Jake Diekman against the left-handed-hitting Peralta and the cleanup batter took a few weak swings while quickly falling behind in the count. The game-winning swing wasn’t much better, but he reached across the plate and flipped the ball through the right side of the drawn-in infield.
Arizona starter Zac Gallen took a no-hitter into the sixth in his 20th career start. Austin Allen’s single with one out was Oakland’s first hit and Marcus Semien followed with an infield single, but Gallen got out of the jam by striking out Tony Kemp and Chapman.
Gallen gave up three hits – including Robbie Grossman’s solo homer in the seventh. He struck out eight, walked one and left with a 3-1 lead.
Oakland entered with a big league-best 16-6 record and had won 13 of its past 15 games. The Diamondbacks had been on a roll, too, winning four straight and eight of 11 to reach .500 for the first time since opening day.
Peralta homered in the third to give the Diamondbacks a 1-0 lead. He also started a rally in the sixth with a leadoff double. He scored on a fielder’s choice after Kemp’s throw to the plate on Eduardo Escobar’s chopper was late. Carson Kelly added an RBI single to push the D-backs ahead 3-0.
Oakland’s Chris Bassitt gave up three runs over 5 1/3 innings, striking out three and walking three.
Stefan Crichton (2-0) earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief. Joakim Soria (1-1) gave up Ahmed’s double to start the ninth.
LAUREANO SET FOR RETURN
The A’s will be eager to have CF Ramon Laureano back in the lineup Tuesday after he completed his four-game suspension by sitting out Monday’s series opener. Laureano had his
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