Diamondbacks 15, White Sox 4: Christian Walker’s Big Night Too Much For Sox

The Arizona Diamondbacks find themselves in a stressful spot. Before tonight’s game, they were tied with the Chicago Cubs but held a tiebreaker to be the 5th seed. Breathing down their neck are the Miami Marlins, a game back, and the Cincinnati Reds, still lurking 2.5 games behind. Sure, a three-game series against the lowly White Sox would provide an opportunity to distance other competitors. Still, a slip-up and the Diamondbacks put themselves in danger of missing the postseason altogether. 

Eloy Jimenez put the Diamondbacks on notice early. His three-run home run in the first inning put Arizona behind the eight ball early. Another Jimenez RBI came in the second inning with a single to give the White Sox a 4-1 lead. 

Then, the White Sox good feelings vanished. 

Arizona scored two runs in the third inning thanks to White Sox starting pitcher Jose Urena’s throwing error. On a comebacker to Urena with runners on first and second, what should have been a double play saw the throw sail wide to Tim Anderson at second base. Tommy Pham picked up a sacrifice fly after the throwing error, and the Diamondbacks were just down by one run. 

The wheels came off in the fifth inning. 

After Geraldo Perdomo walked, Corbin Carroll hit an easy grounder at Elvis Andrus, who attempted to start the 4-6-3 double play. Andrus’s throw to Anderson at second was on target and was initially called out as Corbin reached safely at first base. Arizona challenged the play as per replay; Anderson didn’t keep a foot on the bag. An easy reversal and the Diamondbacks were in business. 

Ketel Marte singled to center field, loading the bases for Pham. On a full count, Urena threw a non-competitive sinker that wasn’t close to the strike zone and walked the game-tying run. 

Christian Walker, who hit a solo home run earlier in the game, came through with a gapper to right-center field. Walker’s bases-clearing triple put Arizona up 7-4, and the damage wasn’t over. Alek Thomas singled in Walker and would later score off Gabriel Moreno’s sac fly. A six-run fifth inning for Arizona put them comfortably ahead 9-4. 

In the next inning, Walker hit his second home run to right field. That two-run shot gave the Diamondbacks an 11-4 lead, scoring ten unanswered runs. 

Ketel Marte made it 11 unanswered runs with his mammoth solo home run in the eighth inning. 

Because this White Sox squad lacks self-respect, the Diamondbacks scored three more runs in the ninth inning, extending the unanswered streak to 14 runs. 

Game Notes:

• Christian Walker went 3-for-5 with 2 HR, Triple, and 6 RBI
• Eloy Jimenez went 2-for-4 with a HR and 4 RBI. He’s two home runs shy of 20 for the season. 
• Tim Anderson now has 15 errors on the season. 
• The White Sox are now 7-16 in September with a run differential of -58.

Record: 60-97 | Box Score | StatCast