Christian Walker delivers as Diamondbacks pound White Sox 15-4 to strengthen wild-card positioning

2023-09-27 11:22

Christian Walker homered twice and drove in six runs and the Arizona Diamondbacks added to their wild-card push with a 15-4 victory over the lowly Chicago White Sox

CHICAGO (AP) — Christian Walker homered twice and drove in six runs and the Arizona Diamondbacks added to their wild-card push with a 15-4 victory over the lowly Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.

Walker hit a solo shot in the second inning and a two-run drive in the sixth in his fourth multihomer game of the season. He also lined a tiebreaking, three-run triple into the gap in right-center in the fifth.

Led by Walker, who has 33 homers and a career-best 103 RBIs on the year, the Diamondbacks bounced back nicely after dropping two of three at the New York Yankees. Ryne Nelson (8-8) got the win, tossing 4 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of a shaky Zach Davies.

Arizona (83-74) moved one game ahead of the Chicago Cubs for the second of three NL wild cards. The Cubs blew a six-run lead in a 7-6 loss at Atlanta.

Eloy Jiménez hit a three-run homer and an RBI single for the White Sox (60-97), who hurt themselves with two big errors. José Ureña (0-7) surrendered seven runs — four earned — and four hits in four-plus innings.

Chicago had a 4-1 lead before Ureña's throwing error helped Arizona score two runs in the third. The Diamondbacks then went ahead to stay with six runs in the fifth.

With Geraldo Perdomo aboard after a leadoff walk, Corbin Carroll hit a grounder to second. Elvis Andrus threw to Tim Anderson looking for the force at second base, but the shortstop was charged with an error after a replay challenge showed he was off the bag when he caught the ball.

Ureña departed after Tommy Pham's bases-loaded walk tied it at 4. Walker then greeted Yohan Ramirez with his second triple of the season. Alek Thomas hit an RBI single in his hometown, and Gabriel Moreno made it 9-4 with a sacrifice fly.

Ketel Marte connected for his 25th homer in the eighth, and Perdomo hit a two-run triple in Arizona's three-run ninth.

TRAINER'S ROOM

White Sox: OF Luis Robert Jr. (MCL sprain) was placed on the 10-day injured list, ending his career-best season. OF Tyler Naquin was brought up from Triple-A Charlotte, and RHP Jimmy Lambert (right ankle) was transferred to the 60-day IL.

UP NEXT

Arizona right-hander Brandon Pfaadt (2-9, 6.08 ERA) takes the mound Wednesday. The rookie allowed five earned runs in 4 1/3 innings in a 7-1 loss at the New York Yankees on Friday night. Chicago did not announce its starter before the game.

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