Arizona Diamondbacks’ Christian Walker (53) celebrates with teammate Alek Thomas at home plate after hitting a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
BY JAY COHENUpdated 8:52 PM MST, September 26, 2023Share
CHICAGO (AP) — Christian Walker broke into the club Tuesday. Smashed through the front door with three sweet swings for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Walker homered twice and drove in six runs, and the Diamondbacks added to their wild-card push with a 15-4 victory over the lowly Chicago White Sox.
Ketel Marte hit his 25th homer and Geraldo Perdomo also delivered at the plate, but Walker recorded the biggest blows while notching a career achievement. The first baseman pushed his numbers to 33 homers and 103 RBIs on the season, going 30-100 for the first time.
“It makes me proud to think about,” Walker said. “It’s something that I’ve had my eye on for a long time. Especially at this level, it’s just the standard.”
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Walker hit a solo shot in the second inning and a two-run drive in the sixth in his fourth multihomer game of the year. He also lined a three-run triple into the gap in right-center in the fifth.
Led by Walker, 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.
“I’m so proud of these guys for fighting through some tough circumstances, tough outcomes in New York,” manager Torey Lovullo said.
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.
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“We’re not dwelling on other games. We’re not expecting other teams to get us in,” Walker said. “But also, when we see the scores change and the lead change in games like that, we’re aware of it and we’re rooting for the teams that we need to win, for sure.”
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 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.
“Couple mistakes opened the floodgates for them, and after that, we didn’t get much going offensively after they took Davies out of the game,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said.
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.
Marte went deep 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.