The Arizona Diamondbacks didn’t waste any time breaking this game open.
Ketel Marte and Alex Avila each hit two-run homers and the Diamondbacks scored eight runs in the first three innings to power their way to a 9-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night.
”We just did a good job of being aggressive in the zone
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Marte’s blast capped a three-run first, while Avila’s shot in the third extended the NL West-leading Diamondbacks’ advantage to 8-0.
Jay doubled in each of the first two innings, the second of which drove in two runs. The center fielder is hitting .340 in 13 games since being acquired June 6 from Kansas City in a trade.
”I feel very fortunate to have been traded here,” Jay said. ”It’s a great group of guys who know how to go about their business. You can see why this team is successful.”
Staked to the early cushion, Zack Godley (8-5) won his third straight start. He gave up three runs – two earned – and four hits in six innings with five strikeouts and three walks.
”A lot of times it’s hard to pitch in games like this because you can lose your concentration with the big lead, but he kept making pitches,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said.
Godley, though, said he didn’t feel any pressure in trying to hold the eight-run advantage.
”Heck, I’ll take eight runs in the first three innings every time,” he said with a smile.
Avila finished with three RBIs as he also doubled home a run in the ninth. The veteran catcher entered the game hitting .109.
Chad Kuhl (5-5) lasted just two-plus innings and was lifted following Avila’s homer. Kuhl was tagged for eight runs and eight hits after allowing three earned runs or less in seven of his previous eight starts.
”I don’t think balls were coming out (of his hand) as they have for whatever that reason may be
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Kuhl was supposed to pitch Wednesday night against Milwaukee but the game was rained out after a delay of slightly more than two hours. Lovullo thought that might have worked in the Diamondbacks’ favor.
”He had to reverse his game plan,” Lovullo said. ”He thought he was starting against the Brewers and then he had less than a day to prepare for us. That’s difficult.”
Pittsburgh rookie Austin Meadows had three hits.
Daniel Descalso’s sacrifice fly brought home the game’s first run before Marte followed with his sixth home run into the right-field stands. Paul Goldschmidt singled in Jay in the second to make it 6-0.
Francisco Cervelli hit an RBI single in the fourth inning for the Pirates. Starling Marte doubled in a run and scored on Colin Moran’s sacrifice fly in the sixth.
The Diamondbacks have scored 35 runs in going 3-1 against Pittsburgh this season.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: RHP Shelby Miller (Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery) rejoined the team following four minor league rehab starts and is scheduled to be activated from the disabled list Monday to pitch at Miami. Miller was injured April 22, 2017, while facing the Los Angeles Dodgers. He will take the rotation spot of RHP Matt Koch, who was optioned to Triple-A Reno, while RHP Jake Barrett was recalled from the Aces to provide extra bullpen help and got the final out.
Pirates: RHP AJ Schugel (right shoulder discomfort) has started playing catch on flat ground at the team’s spring training facility in Bradenton, Florida. The reliever has been on the DL all season.
TIME TO MAKE UP
Wednesday’s rainout will be made up July 14 when the Pirates and Brewers play a traditional doubleheader starting at 12:35 p.m. ET.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks: LHP Patrick Corbin (6-5, 3.48 ERA) is 1-2 with a 5.90 ERA in five career starts against the Pirates.
Pirates: RHP Ivan Nova (4-5, 4.42) has won both starts with a 1.54 ERA since being activated from the DL on June 10. He missed two weeks with a sprained right ring finger.
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Andrew Luck spent two straight offseasons contemplating how it would feel to play football again.
He'll find out Thursday night.
Coach Frank Reich announced Tuesday that Luck would start and could play most of the first quarter in the Indianapolis Colts' preseason opener at Seattle.
"I'll be excited and a little nervous," Luck acknowledged after practice. "There were one or two moments where I wondered if, 'Am I ever going to be able to do this again?'"
He wasn't the only one asking that question during a nearly 600-day wait between starts. And he's not the only one who will be nervous lining up against the Seahawks' traditionally strong defense.
Much has changed since Luck performed in a televised game.
There's a new general manager and a new coach in town. There's been another new offense installed and Luck is still trying to learn everybody's names. Even the once formidable offense has undergone a major revamp.
Rookie Quenton Nelson and free agent signee Matt Slauson have moved in as the new starting guards. Tight Eric Ebron and receiver Ryan Grant are promising new targets for Luck
Jackie Bradley Jr Jersey , who will be handing off to second-year running back Marlon Mack for the first time in a game Thursday.
Luck can't wait to see how it all works together 鈥?even if it takes an entire preseason to work out the kinks.
"Every day I feel a little bit better about my technique in those team drills," he said. "And also I feel better, I feel stronger, I feel more fit, I feel like my arm has a little more in it and a little more in it and a little more in it. I'm certainly feeling more comfortable in the offense."
That's all good news for Colts fans who cringed at the notion their bright, young star may never return to his pre-injury form following surgery.
But after looking understandably rusty at his first training camp practice, Luck has shown indications he is getting back to his old ways.
His passes seem crisper, he's more in sync with his receivers and he's been able to complete passes consistently through smaller and smaller windows. His final throw Sunday 鈥?a 45-yarder on the run across his body for a touchdown to T.Y. Hilton in a two-minute drill 鈥?reminded Reich just how close Luck is to being completely healthy.
"We're doing end of half situation or end of game situation and he's just bailing out of there, 100 mph and that's a tough throw to kind of turn and make that," Reich said. "That's definitely checking something off (the list)."
Luck figures It's about time.
He initially hurt the right shoulder in September 2015 against Tennessee, missed the next two games
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Instead of opting for surgery immediately, Luck decided to rest the shoulder. When the pain persisted, he played through it 鈥?making 15 starts and turning in arguably his best season as a pro in 2016 before undergoing surgery.
Indy expected Luck to return last season, but he didn't start throwing till early October and was shut down two weeks later after complaining of more pain. He went on injured reserve in November and didn't resume throwing footballs again until May.
Luck ramped up his activity during summer workouts in California and finally began practicing with the starting offense for the first time in 18 months after arriving at training camp 鈥?albeit on a revised schedule that mimics his regular-season routine.
And now, finally, Luck appears ready to take the next big step in his recovery, even if he only plays a couple of series.
"Part of playing in a game is being able to go through a hurdle when something happens and something doesn't go right, and surviving in a sense and being able to check off that box in your mind," he said.
The question, of course, is how the shoulder will react under game conditions
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It's an answer everyone, including Luck, wants to know. But for now, Luck will be content getting acclimated to playing on the big stage again.
"How will warmups feel? What does that feel like? How do you feel when you turn the ball over?" Luck said. "What happens on third-and-long and it's loud and the headset goes out? What do you call? OK, boom, did we do that well? How would you change that? Checking those boxes off."
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