4-3. That was Arizona’s comeback final after a three-run hole, sealed in the eighth inning at Chase Field on Saturday, July 30, 2023. Corbin Carroll sparked the rally with a leadoff walk, turned a balk and a steal into a scoring opportunity, and Dominic Canzone’s bouncing single produced the decisive run. Reliever Scott McGough struck out Julio Rodriguez to end the game, preserving a comeback that briefly revived Arizona’s sliding momentum.

Arizona’s eighth-inning rally reversed a three-run deficit, after Corbin Carroll worked a leadoff walk that ignited the sequence.

How Seattle built an early edge

Seattle opened the game by manufacturing a 3-0 lead, not with a string of big hits but with situational offense. Two sacrifice flies and a Tom Murphy solo home run produced the early separation, and those small ball plays kept pressure on the Diamondbacks while the Mariners plugged away at the scoreboard. Cal Raleigh and Murphy had supplied early offense in Friday’s 5-2 series-opening win, and Seattle came into the weekend riding a recent hot stretch with playoff positioning on its mind. The club sat about three games over .500 and was thinking about the trade deadline context as it took the early advantage in Phoenix.

Bullpen chess and the decisive eighth

Arizona chipped away across the middle innings, but the decisive sequence began with Carroll’s walk in the eighth. Carroll advanced on a balk and then used his speed to steal third, a swipe that registered as his 32nd stolen base of the season. One out later, Dominic Canzone delivered a single up the middle that scored Carroll for the go-ahead run. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo praised the sequence, saying, "It's just a classic case of being prepped and being ready." The line captured how the D-backs leaned on preparation, speed and situational hitting to overturn the early deficit.

Mastheads

Bullpen management framed the late drama. Kevin Ginkel, who had been effective earlier and struck out three of four batters in his appearance, was pulled while Arizona was two outs away from a win. Left-hander Andrew Chafin then allowed a triple and a walk that erased the margin for error, prompting Arizona to turn to Scott McGough to finish the frame. McGough did exactly that, striking out Julio Rodriguez to end the game and secure the 4-3 victory.

The pitching decisions underlined the small margins in this contest. Seattle struggled with runners in scoring position, going hitless in 11 such at-bats during the game, a drought that ultimately cost them an opportunity to extend the lead late.

Arizona’s reliance on speed, careful base running and contact hitting produced the one run Seattle couldn't answer.

The win was Arizona’s sixth in 21 games since the All-Star break, moving the Diamondbacks’ post-All-Star-break mark to 4-10 and underscoring how much of the club’s first-half momentum had evaporated. By contrast, Seattle’s recent form gave the club momentum heading into the weekend, and the loss represented a small but meaningful stutter as the Mariners continued to think about their position in a crowded playoff race.

Managerial lines and late-inning maneuvers will get plenty of scrutiny after this one. The D-backs showed the kind of small-ball sequence teams often preach but rarely execute: a walk, aggressive base running, a well-timed steal and a contact hit that split the defense. For Seattle, the rough night with runners in scoring position will be a more durable concern than any single bullpen choice.

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They were scheduled to play the series finale Sunday, July 30, 2023. Originally reported by Reuters.

This article was created with AI assistance.