Diamondbacks explode for 7 runs in 7th inning for comeback win over Pirates

Emmanuel Rivera cost the Diamondbacks a chance to tie or maybe even win Wednesday night's game with a mental lapse on the basepaths late in the game. Thursday, he atoned for that by delivering the day's clutch hit, a one-out, two-run double past third base to drive in two runs and break a 3-3 tie.

The double was part of a seven-run seventh inning that lifted the Diamondbacks to a 9-3 win and a series victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Chase Field. Daulton Varsho came up three batters after Rivera and just missed a grand slam, clearing the bases with a three-run double.

The Diamondbacks (51-60) sent 11 batters to the plate in the seventh. Jake McCarthy opened the inning with an infield single and drove in a run in the same inning with a ground out to first base.

"A lot of uncommon things happened today, and guys just sacrificing and using the whole field and just handing it off to the next guy. And that's what we want to do," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. "I don't want anybody to feel like they've got to shoulder this. This entire team, it's a group effort. And I felt like that was very apparent in that seven-run seventh."

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Rivera had a home run and two doubles, Kevin Ginkel earned the win in relief, and the Diamondbacks finished off a seven-game homestand with a 5-2 record and their 10th win in the last 13 home games.

Rivera reported to the Diamondbacks on Aug. 2, after being acquired in a deadline trade with the Kansas City Royals. He's started at third base the past two games, with Lovullo deploying Josh Rojas as Thursday's designated hitter.

"I came here to help the team win," Rivera said in Spanish. "What happened (Wednesday) was the first time that's ever happened to me in my career. So I know I have to be more attentive next time in that situation. I had the mentality (Thursday) to just do my job and help the team."

Arizona had to overcome a 3-0 deficit that came about when the Diamondbacks didn't appear to get the basics right on defense in the fourth inning.

The Pirates had a 1-0 lead with one out in the fourth after Ke'Bryan Hayes beat Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker's throw home on a fielder's choice. Arizona challenged the tag play, but the safe call was upheld after review.

Pittsburgh's Greg Allen blooped a single into center field, driving in another run. Allen was caught in a rundown between first and second bases, and just when it appeared Allen might be tagged out on a throwback to first base, no one was covering the bag with starting pitcher Merrill Kelly away from the play backing up home plate.

Tucupita Marcano took advantage and raced home from first base on the same play, the Diamondbacks not keeping Marcano from scoring after he slid head first into third.

"When you're playing a game of chase with a man at third base, you've got to be very situationally aware of what that runner is doing at third base, and I think we just lost our way there a little bit," Lovullo said.

The Diamondbacks' first hit of the game was Rivera's second home run in an Arizona uniform, a line shot that traveled an estimated 437 feet and hit the advertising sign board in left center field. It cut the Pirates' lead to 3-1, and afterRojas beat an attempted double play throw from first base to second, Carson Kelly's single knocked in Rojas with the second Diamondbacks run in the fourth inning.

"Like with all ball players, hitting a home run at home is always great and even more so when it starts a rally and gets the team going," Rivera said.

Kelly made his fourth consecutive start at catcher for the Diamondbacks, the first time he's done that since Sept. 23-26 of last year.

Varsho was close to a home run with a long fly ball to the base of the fence in the second inning. It was a precursor to his double that struck high up the center field wall that broke open the game.

"I can live with those misses. That was good, and the way that he stayed behind the ball and backspun it, staying for the most part in the in the middle of the diamond for the double off the center field wall was a very impressive swing," Lovullo said of Varsho.

Short hops

* A celebration of life for Nicole Hazen, the wife of Diamondbacks General Manager Mike Hazen, will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Phoenix. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Nicole Hazen Fund for Hope (dbacks.com/nicolehazenfund). Hazen died on Aug. 4 from complications related to glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. She was 45.

*Merrill Kelly's streak of 11 starts with at least six innings pitched came to an end. He got a no-decision on Thursday but is 4-0 in his last eight starts. Despite his three runs allowed in five innings, Kelly has a 1.86 ERA over that span. "It's nice to know that just because you give up the runs, it doesn't mean that you're automatically going to lose the game," Kelly said. "It was kind of one of those days where you're trying to survive."

* With seven runs in the seventh, the Diamondbacks have scored 52 runs in the sixth inning or later since the All-Star break.

Get in touch with Jose Romero at Jose.Romero@gannett.com. Find him on Twitter at @RomeroJoseM.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diamondbacks explode for 7 runs in 7th inning for comeback win over Pirates