Noelvi Marte's Third Straight Homer Didn't Matter, Because One D-backs Bomb Just Took the Series

Whoa, what a wild one out in Cincinnati! The Arizona Diamondbacks snagged the rubber match against the Reds today, pulling out a 5-3 win that went back and forth like a slugfest. You had to be watching, seriously. It felt like every inning had some kind of crazy swing, but in the end, a clutch solo shot from Gabriel Moreno in the eighth inning was the difference maker. Paul Sewald even closed it out for his 17th save, putting a nice bow on a hard-fought victory for the D-backs.

Moreno's Monster Shot and the Bullpen's Grit

Seriously, this game was a rollercoaster. The Reds jumped out early with a solo homer from JJ Bleday in the second, making it 1-0. But Tommy Troy, who also made a diving catch in left to save a run, launched a solo shot himself in the third to tie it up 1-1. Cincinnati then clawed back ahead 2-1 when Eugenio Suarez doubled to score Nathaniel Lowe. But the D-backs weren't having it. Geraldo Perdomo blasted a two-run homer in the sixth, putting Arizona up 3-2 after Lowe made an error at first. But wait, there's more! Noelvi Marte hit a solo homer, his third straight game with a dinger, to tie it right back up 3-3. But then came the eighth. Gabriel Moreno stepped up, and just absolutely crushed a high fly to right off Zach Maxwell. It sailed just out of the reach of a leaping Marte and over the fence! That go-ahead bomb put the D-backs up 4-3, and that was it for the Reds. Kevin Ginkel had a dicey eighth, giving up back-to-back singles and a wild pitch, but he clutched up and fanned Suarez and Marte to escape the jam.

Gallen Grinds, Reds Struggle to Find Answers

Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen allowed three runs and six hits over six innings, striking out four and walking two, giving up those solo shots to Bleday and Noelvi Marte. He settled down a bit, retiring seven in a row at one point, showing that grit we love to see. On the other side, Reds lefty Andrew Abbott gave them five innings, giving up just one run and four hits with five strikeouts. He threw 95 pitches, a solid outing, but the bullpen couldn't hold. Tejay Antone came in and immediately gave up Perdomo's two-run homer. Then Zach Maxwell took the loss, giving up Moreno's game-winner. After a rain delay that lasted over an hour, the Diamondbacks even tacked on another run in the ninth with an RBI single from Ketel Marte, pushing it to 5-3. The Reds are really scuffling, man, losing eight of their last ten. That's a rough stretch to be on early in the season, and they gotta figure something out fast. This was a big one for Arizona, taking the series on the road. For the Reds, you've got to wonder what's next after dropping eight of ten. They'll need to regroup quickly and find some momentum if they want to turn things around. That's it from the diamond, folks, what a finish!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.