Resilient Diamondbacks Complete Impressive Sweep of Reds

Handed an early lead, right-hander Slade Cecconi turned in another solid start. Cecconi allowed just one run in 5 1/3 innings on three hits, three walks, and two strikeouts. He didn’t have his best stuff but avoided the barrel to get so. His lone blemish was a solo home run to Jeimer Candelario on a fly ball that barely cleared the high wall in left center.

“He was on the attack and the secondary stuff was landing when he needed it,” said Lovullo. “It was a really impressive five-plus innings and he gave us what we needed to push it off to the bullpen.”

Timely hits were also a theme, especially in this game. Every time the Reds tied the game, the Diamondbacks found an answer. After Candelario’s home run in the bottom of the fifth, Arizona scored two in the sixth to take the lead. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. broke the tie with a double to the right center gap and Eugenio Suarez added a sacrifice fly to put them up 3-1.

After the Reds tied the game again in the eighth, the Diamondbacks displayed that same resiliency. Two-out walks to Tucker Barnhart and Pavin Smith set the stage for Corbin Carroll to retake the lead. Carroll did just that, smoking a single into center field and Barnhart barely eluding the tag of catcher Tyler Stephenson to score the winning run.

“I was really proud in the way we built that inning,” said Lovullo. “It was Tucker to Pavin and then a big hit by Corbin. It was fun to watch.”

Facing a Reds team that’s ultra-aggressive on the bases, the Diamondbacks turned that aggressiveness against them. They recorded three outs on the bases, all on stolen base attempts, to help pitch out of some tough jams. Playing in the home run-friendly confines of Great American Ballpark, Lovullo treats outs as a premium, comparing it to playing in Colorado given how the game can change in a hurry.

One play that stood out came late, when the Diamondbacks caught Stuart Fairchild napping with a great deke by both Kevin Newman and Ketel Marte, that turned into a double play from the outfield.

“They’re students of the game, and we have really smart players here that are watching very carefully,” said Lovullo. “You don’t see that very often, it was one handing off to the next guy, and they basically got us that double play.”

Paul Sewald, in his first save opportunity of the year, retired the Reds in order to nail down the save. It was the fifth time in the regular season that the team pitched Ryan Thompson, Kevin Ginkel, and Sewald in the same game. They have won all five.

The Diamondbacks will be riding a wave of momentum into Baltimore for the weekend, playing the Orioles who have an AL-best record of 24-12. Right-hander Brandon Pfaadt (1-2, 4.61 ERA) takes the mound for Arizona while left-hander Cole Irvin (3-1, 2.86 ERA) goes for Baltimore. First pitch at Camden Yards will be 4:05 PM MST, with the broadcast on Apple TV.