Los Angeles: Jake Lamb drove in a career-high six runs and surprise starting pitcher Patrick Corbin allowed just one run in over eight innings as the Arizona Diamondbacks crushed the Cincinnati Reds 12-2 on Thursday.
Lamb blasted two three-run homers while Corbin had to step in at the last minute and pitch because regular starter Taijuan Walker had to be at the bedside of his wife who was in labour.
The Diamondbacks earned their second win in a three-game Major League Baseball series against the Reds.
“I’m so proud of the guys, fighting through very difficult circumstances in the last few games,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “Nobody did better than Patrick Corbin.”
First-time father Walker left the team Wednesday to be at his wife’s side.
Corbin said he only learnt of his start the night before as he was getting ready to go to bed.
“It took me a while to fall asleep,” he admitted. “It’s a different feeling when you’re pitching the next day. You’ve just got to be ready sometimes. I felt pretty good.”
Corbin improved to 7-9 on the season as he allowed seven hits in a season-high 7 1/3 innings. He struck out six and walked one.
Gregor Blanco tripled and homered and Ketel Marte also homered for Arizona, who lost a three-game series to the Reds in Arizona right before the All-Star break.
“It’s nice to end it with a win, especially with the offence we had today,” said Lamb.
Eugenio Suarez accounted for all the Reds runs as he logged his third career multi-homer game. Suarez hammered a 428-foot solo homer to left field in the bottom of the fourth and blasted another in the eighth that sailed 365 feet to opposite field.
Suarez hit his second homer in the first at-bat after Corbin left the game.
