Diamondbacks hit four home runs, plate five runs in sixth inning against Royals

Zac Gallen wasn't the Zac Gallen of his first seven starts of this season, but the Diamondbacks still found a way to win like they have 11 times this season — coming from behind.

Jordan Luplow's pinch-hit, three-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning off former Diamondback Taylor Clarke tied the game at 6, then Pavin Smith lifted a deep drive into the seats in right field off Clarke to break the tie and give the D-Backs an eventual 8-6 win.

The five-run inning gave the Diamondbacks (23-22) their fifth win in the last six games at Chase Field. They are 9-4 in their last 13 games and have hit 21 home runs in their last 10 games.

Daulton Varsho hit the team's first leadoff home run of the season and the first leadoff homer by a catcher in franchise history and David Peralta also homered, but the Royals figured out a way to get to Gallen.

"Zac's been keeping us in every ballgame," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. "We hit four home runs, none bigger than Jordan Luplow's, in my opinion."

Gallen had not allowed more than two earned runs in any of his previous seven starts this season and had only surrendered five earned runs over those seven starts. But the Royals hit the ball hard against him. MJ Melendez hit just the second home run Gallen has surrendered in 2022, a two-run shot in the second inning.

The Royals hit six balls of at least 96.9 miles per hour in exit velocity off Gallen, who faced the Royals for the first time in his career.

In the end, Gallen allowed six earned runs on seven hits in 5 ⅓ innings. He also threw a wild pitch.

"We won, so that's a positive. That's the most important thing. Other than that it was pretty bad. I thought I made some decent pitches, but they just kind of found holes," Gallen said. "Offense picked us up, so you know you're going to have games like that so it is what it is.

"I've been saying this even before the year started, we're going to be an annoying team to play," Gallen added. "(Tuesday) it was the lineup picking up the staff."

The Diamondbacks trailed 2-1 and 3-2, their second run a result of three walks and a wild pitch that allowed Jake McCarthy to score from third base in the bottom of the third.

Peralta evened it up at 3 with his eighth home run of the season, which he launched into the seats in left center field to lead off the bottom of the fourth.

But Gallen couldn't make it out of the sixth inning, the seven Royals hits also the most for an opponent off him this season. A single, walk and a double for Melendez plated a run for a 4-3 Royals lead, before Gallen exited.

Kansas City's Dairon Blanco, who'd struck out twice against Gallen, bounced a two-run single into center field off reliever Joe Mantiply, giving the Royals a three-run lead for the moment.

Clarke struck out Geraldo Perdomo for the second out of the sixth, then gave up three straight extra-base hits as the Diamondbacks surged ahead. Luplow's home run was the second pinch-hit homer of his career.

"You play your role the best you can," Luplow said. "I was looking for something over the middle, not trying to do too much with it.

"These boys battle, man. Not giving away outs, that's a big thing," Luplow added.

Smith was looking for the changeup from Clarke, and got it.

"It was great to be able to put a good swing on it," Smith said. "I knew it was a high leverage situation, guy on second, tie game."

Then it was up to the Diamondbacks bullpen, and righty Noé Ramirez (1-1) pitched a hitless seventh inning with two strikeouts. Ramirez struck out Bobby Witt Jr., and Varsho threw out Whit Merrifield trying to steal second base for a double play to end the inning.

"An elite base-stealer. There's a lot of things that added up to that strike out and throw out," Lovullo said. "When that happened it was two quick outs in the seventh. I could feel the wind come out of their sail."

Ian Kennedy followed with a 1-2-3 eighth inning, and Mark Melancon earned his 10th save of the season with a scoreless ninth.

The Diamondbacks improved to 17-1 this season when leading after six innings.

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 overcome rough outing from Zac Gallen to beat Royals