Kevin Newman caps Diamondbacks' rally in 9th over Reds in series opener
Not long after he made unlikely winners of the Diamondbacks on Monday night, Kevin Newman asked if he could quickly knock out his postgame session with reporters. It was getting late, and he had a long drive ahead of him to the far East Valley.
More than likely, Newman drove his car faster than he drove the walkoff single to right field in the bottom of the ninth inning, a 63.6 mph floater that lifted the Diamondbacks to a 6-5 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Chase Field.
“Just got lucky on that one,” Newman said. “Placed it in a good spot and scored two runs.”
In a game that featured seven lead changes, the ejections of slugger Joc Pederson and manager Torey Lovullo and another shaky outing from reliever Kevin Ginkel, the Diamondbacks came away with their fourth win in as many tries in the past week against a slumping Cincinnati Reds team.
They could not have done it without another day of significant contributions from the bottom of their order.
Newman, the No. 9 hitter, delivered four hits, including a pair of doubles. Gabriel Moreno, who hit seventh, blasted a solo homer and drew three walks. In between them, Pavin Smith, Randal Grichuk and Jake McCarthy all came to the plate in the eight hole, combining for a single, a sac fly and a walk.
“We’re kind of a next-guy-up mentality, trying to get on for the guy behind you,” Newman said. “Some big boppers at the top of the lineup who can rake, so anytime I can get on for them — or any guy at the bottom of the lineup — I think it really helps us. Those guys mash.”
For the first six weeks of the season, the bottom of the order had been an offensive wasteland for the Diamondbacks. Specifically, the club’s nine-hole hitters had been among the worst in the league, hitting just .172 with a .462 OPS through the first 35 games.
Without question, the Diamondbacks miss the production they received a year ago from slumping star Corbin Carroll. Less obvious, perhaps, has been the absence of injured shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, who routinely started rallies from the bottom of the order.
But since the start of the previous road trip, the Diamondbacks’ No. 9 hitters are 9 for 25 (.320) and their 7-8-9 hitters combined are 20 for 71 (.282). Lovullo does not see it as a coincidence that his team is 5-2 in that span.
“That’s why we’re winning these games, for sure,” Lovullo said. “When the whole line gets moving in the right direction, it’s going to be even more powerful.”
Pederson singled in the first and blasted a solo homer in the third inning but went down on strikes each of his next three trips to the plate, then was ejected after the last of them. Rung up on a questionable call by home plate umpire Mark Carlson, Pederson flipped his bat in disgust. It was enough to prompt Carlson to give him the heave-ho. Lovullo joined him in the clubhouse after his ensuing conversation with Carlson.
At that point, in the eighth inning, the Diamondbacks were trailing, 5-4. Ginkel had turned in his third rough outing in his past four appearances, and the Diamondbacks looked bound for a disappointing loss.
But Reds closer Alexis Diaz hit Lourdes Gurriel Jr. with a pitch and proceeded to walk two of the next three batters, setting the stage for Newman’s game-winning hit, a single he flared into right to drive home the tying and go-ahead runs. It was his eighth hit in his past 12 at-bats dating to Saturday.
“Thought process was, honestly, just stay middle,” he said. “That’s kind of what changed the last few days. Just working on staying up the middle, to stay on those offspeed pitches a little bit better. I stayed on that one (slider) just enough and it dropped in.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diamondbacks down Reds with 9th-inning rally
