It paid off nearly immediately as the Blue Jays took a 2-0 lead two batters into the game.
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A groundout moved the runners up, but Sanchez got Goldschmidt to ground out on a changeup and cleanup hitter Jake Lamb to fly out.
“We had second and third and you would like to get a run or two there”, Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale said. “It is tough with our pitcher on third”. “I’m trying to get better, working on things in between starts”.
Edwin Encarnacion provided the dagger, taking Hudson a quarter-mile into the left-field bleachers for a two-run home run (26).
Encarnacion will be a free agent when his four-year, $37 million contract expires this winter, and Chase Field might provide a welcome home, except for the fact that four-time All Star Paul Goldschmidt is a fixture at first.
“That was the loudest ball I’ve ever witnessed live in a stadium, by far, ” Stroman said. “I feel comfortable in this ballpark”. It’s really big. It’s a green wall over there. “Maybe it’s that, I don’t know”. “I didn’t miss it that time”.
Encarnacion has hit nine home runs in seven games in Arizona. The Blue Jays sit two games back of the Orioles and 1.5 behind the Red Sox. He is an All-Star. “His sinker is as good as anybody’s”. He did not walk a batter and struck out six.
With Zack Greinke on the DL, Brad Ziegler traded to Boston, and Shelby Miller lost in the baseball wilderness, it’s safe to say that the entire Arizona pitching staff is a hot mess at this point.
But with each passing game, Sanchez just keeps cruising along, looking perfectly comfortable in his role as a starter. “Just a couple of pitches messed me up”. Four pitches later, Donaldson grounded a ball between third and shortstop into left field for a run-scoring base hit, putting Toronto ahead, 4-1.
Godley retired the first two batters in the third before singles by Devon Travis and Donaldson. After a couple of pitches that would put Edwin into a hitters 3 and 1 count, Godley would hang a breaking ball and Edwin would make no mistake. Devon Travis would start things up again with nearly a carbon copy of his first hit, and reach on a single.
The Diamondbacks got on the board early, taking advantage of Jean Segura’s leadoff single in the first.
The Blue Jays outfielder will also play for Single-A Dunedin on Wednesday to test his turf toe injury.
“If all’s good, you’ll probably see him Monday I would guess”, manager John Gibbons said, via the Associated Press.
Diamondbacks: OF David Peralta (lower back strain) was 1 for 6 with a double and RBI in his first two rehab games for Double-A Mobile. Hale said Peralta could rejoin the Diamondbacks next week. INF Chris Owings (plantar fasciitis in left foot) was 4 for 6 with a triple and two walks in two rehab games for Triple-A Reno.
Blue Jays: Blue Jays have Thursday off and begin a nine-game homestand Friday night with a game against Seattle.
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Diamondbacks: LHP Patrick Corbin (4-8, 5.28) tries to bounce back from a rough start against the Dodgers in the last home game before Arizona embarks on a 10-game trip.
