Corbin subdues Giants, outduels Bumgarner

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants probably don't want to see Patrick Corbin again anytime soon.
The D-backs southpaw tossed 6 1/3 stifling innings in a 3-2 victory Tuesday, about six weeks after dominating his divisional foe in a one-hit shutout. In that April 17 start, Corbin held the Giants hitless until the eighth inning. This time, Corbin retired 11 straight to start the game and didn't let the ball leave the infield until the fourth inning. He gave up four hits and two walks while striking out seven and lowering his ERA to 2.87.
But the end of the contest was marked with some high drama, as closer Brad Boxberger allowed a run in the ninth before stranding two runners to close it out. From the sounds emanating from the D-backs' clubhouse shortly after the game, it seemed the team took some extra satisfaction in the slim victory.

"I'm proud of these guys," manager Torey Lovullo said. "These are the types of wins that give you a little push for the next day. You got to learn to win these games and expect to win these games."
Corbin ran into some major trouble in the bottom of the fifth, giving up a run on back-to-back doubles by Mac Williamson and Brandon Crawford before loading the bases. But he struck out Bumgarner, Gorkys Hernández and Buster Posey in order to strand three runners and protect his team's one-run advantage.
"I felt really good the whole time I was out there, even when guys got on," Corbin said. "I was cruising there early on. Then it turns that quick where guys get on base and you get in a jam and that's your job to pitch out of it. Tonight I was able to do that."

All three punchouts during the key sequence came via Corbin's slider. He was clearly fired up as he walked off the mound toward the dugout after extinguishing a possible Giants rally.
"He's gotten really good at commanding his slider," Posey said. "I think that's the biggest thing. He's got a little two-seamer working now as well, which in the past I felt he tried to force a little bit more. But when he's on, he does a good job of making that slider start out as a strike out of his hand and then go out of the zone."

Most of the pregame discussion centered around the return of Giants ace Madison Bumgarner, who made his 2018 season debut after breaking a finger during Spring Training. But the D-backs staked Corbin to a two-run lead in the second, using a pair of doubles, a sacrifice fly and a defensive mistake by the Giants.
"I felt like we had a really good plan and a really good approach," said Chris Owings, who doubled home a run before scoring. "Not a lot of strikeouts from the offense with [Bumgarner] and I thought that was a big deal. We kind of jumped on him a little bit early and when he threw strikes. Getting those two runs early really helps out."

Yoshihisa Hirano also navigated out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh when he got Posey to hit a routine fly to center to kill the threat. Arizona scored an insurance run in the top of the ninth that became vital when Boxberger allowed an RBI single to Posey in the bottom of the frame. In the end, Boxberger was able to retire Evan Longoria on a game-ending groundout, as the D-backs moved to 29-0 this season when leading after eight innings.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Pinch-hitter Jake Lamb came through with a clutch hit in the top of the ninth inning, as his RBI single proved to be the game-winner. The D-backs used some small ball to put two runners on against Hunter Strickland before Lamb hit one to shallow right field to bring home Deven Marrero from second base.
"It's not easy coming in to pinch-hit," Owings said. "For him to be able to come off the bench right there and get a big hit, get an RBI, that was huge. Obviously, we needed it."

SOUND SMART
Goldschmidt collected three hits in three at-bats against Bumgarner to raise his average to .344 lifetime against the southpaw. Goldschmidt's 21 career hits against Bumgarner are his most against any pitcher.
UP NEXT
The D-backs and Giants will wrap up their three-game set with a 12:45 p.m. MST matinee at AT&T Park. Clay Buchholz has been stellar in his three starts since joining the Arizona rotation in late May. He tossed seven innings of one-run ball in his last start while striking out nine, his highest total since Aug. 23, 2016.