D-backs get 3 HRs, 8 RBIs from Pavin Smith, blast Astros

Field Level Media|published: Sun 8th September, 22:57 2024

Sep 8, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks left fielder Pavin Smith (26) hits a home run during the second inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Pavin Smith homered in each of his first three at-bats and the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks salvaged the finale of a three-game series with a 12-6 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday night.

Smith recorded his first career multi-homer game and collected a career-high eight RBIs to power Arizona (80-64) to the victory. He clubbed a three-run homer in the top of the second inning and added his third career grand slam in the third, with both blasts coming off Astros starter Justin Verlander (3-6).

Smith then homered off Houston reliever Kaleb Ort leading off the fifth and finished 3-for-4 with a walk.

In the second, Smith spotted the Diamondbacks a 3-0 lead when he followed Jake McCarthy and Eugenio Suarez singles with a 339-foot shot off the right field foul pole. When Verlander challenged Smith with a 2-2 fastball in the third, Smith launched that offering 372 feet to left-center for his grand slam.

Suarez had extended the Arizona lead to 4-0 with an RBI single ahead of the Smith grand slam.

Verlander allowed eight runs on eight hits and one walk over three innings. He did not record a strikeout and is now 0-4 with a 9.68 ERA across four starts since rejoining the rotation following a stint on the injured list due to neck discomfort.

Smith later got to Ort, drilling a 2-2 fastball 393 feet to right for his seventh homer of the season to up the Arizona lead to 9-2. Smith had an opportunity for a fourth home run in four at-bats when he stepped up to the plate in the seventh, but he struck out on three pitches.

Suarez, who belted his 26th homer of the year in the ninth, a solo shot off Astros closer Josh Hader, went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and four runs.

Arizona starter Ryne Nelson dominated the Astros for three innings but did not make it out of the fifth.

Astros third baseman Alex Bregman smacked his 22nd home run of 2024, a two-run blast, in the bottom of the fourth, and Houston chased Nelson with a three-spot in the fifth, when Jose Altuve and Yainer Diaz sandwiched RBI singles around a sacrifice fly from Kyle Tucker to pull the Astros within 9-5.

Nelson allowed five runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings. He walked two and fanned four.

Kevin Ginkel (8-3) got the last out of the fifth for the win.

The Astros (77-66) had their six-game home winning streak snapped.

--Field Level Media