Arizona Diamondbacks: Walker guts out first start, team gains walk-off win

By Mark Brown | Apr 3, 2018

Jeff Mathis gets the Gatorade shower after delivering the game-winner in the 15th inning Monday night. (Christian Petersen / Getty Images) /

Catcher Jeff Mathis of Arizona Diamondbacks picked up teammates with his fifth career walk-off hit in the 15^th inning.

In his last two starts against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the first inning for right-hander Taijuan Walker of the Arizona Diamondbacks has been a struggle and challenge. First, there was the opening game of the NLDS last October and then Monday night.

For his initial start of the season Monday at home, Walker drew the Dodgers as his opponent, and the ghost of last October hung over Chase Field like a dark, ominous creature. In the playoff game last autumn, Walker tossed 41 pitchers in the first inning, lasted only that frame, and a three-run homer to Justin Turner was the tsunami which caused his demise.

On Monday, that scenario seem to replicate. Joc Pederson’s led off the game with a double and a single from Corey Seager, the first two batters Walker faced, created one run lead. Then, catcher Yasmani Grandal hammered a two-run blast and a very quick three-run advantage. The thought was immediate that Walker’s presence in this game was short-lived.

To his credit, manager Torey Lovullo stuck with Walker and the right-hander survived through five innings. Long after Walker left, the Arizona Diamondbacks tied this tied this one on a dramatic, three-run homer from Chris Owings off L. A. closer Kenley Jensen with two outs in the ninth. Then, Jeff Mathis singled in Nick Ahmed to cap a two-run frame and Diamondbacks out-lasted the Los Angeles Dodgers, 8-7 in 15 innings before 21,735. The time of this game at 5 hours, 46 minutes was the longest game, in terms of time, in the 20-year history of Chase Field, and ended at 12:26 a.m. Tuesday.

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Though he labored through a 98-pitch effort and 63 for strikes, Walker had no easy inning. After a 29-pitch opening frame, the least number of pitches in any inning was the second, and that’s when he threw 16 pitches. Still, Walker survived a shaky start and told Call to the Pen that his execution improved over the length of his outing.

"“The first inning was not very productive,” he said. “Once I got through the first, I was able to pitch out of some jams and was much more aggressive with my fastball. As the game went on, my fastball command was better and this is something to build upon for my next start.”"

Like a heavyweight bout from the 1930s, the teams slugged it out until the clock passed midnight. With two in the top of the 15^th, Chase Utley gave the Dodgers a one-run lead when he slapped a single to left that scored Cody Bellinger from second.

Yet, the Diamondbacks were far from finished.

In their half of the 15^th, Jake Lamb laced a one-out single to right and scored with Ahmed doubled into the left-field gap. After Alex Availa was intentionally walked, Mathis stepped to the plate and drove the first pitch, a curve directly over the plate, from reliever Wilmer Font into centerfield for his fifth career walk-off hit. Afterward, Mathis told Call to the Pen he was aware of Font’s use of the curve sets up a fastball that constantly clocked in the mid-90s.

"“I went up there looking for a pitch I could drive,” he said. “We talked about (Font’s) curve on the bench. He made a mistake and laid that right over the plate. You have the give the guys in front of me credit. Nick’s double, Lamber was able to get on and that’s what we do. We link at-bats together.”"

With Lovullo’s use of eight pitchers and all seven designated as relievers, Mathis, had the game reached the 16^th inning, was tapped to pitch. Previously, Mathis appeared in two games as a pitcher for Toronto in 2012, but told Call to the Pen, “those situations were different. We were blown out in those games, and if I came in this time, the game would be on the line.”

In the record book …

With two triples Monday night, Ketel Matre equaled an Arizona Diamondbacks mark set nine times before. Marte was the last to accomplish this feat when he hit two, three-baggers in the .2017 NL wild card game against the Rockies. The last player to hit two triples in a regular season contest was Michael Bourn, who did this against the Braves on Aug. 24, 2016.

The Dodgers series continues …

On Tuesday night, right-hander Zack Godley, who went 8-9 and a 3.37 ERA for 26 starts last season, gets the start against lefty Clayton Kershaw. In 26 career starts against the Diamondbacks, Kershaw is 14-8 and a 2.55 ERA and limited Arizona hitters to a career .219 batting average.

Next: Greinke's re-birth?

The series concludes Wednesday afternoon and that’s when Patrick Corbin, coming off his opening day win over the Rockies, faces lefty Alex Wood for L. A.

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