Geraldo Perdomo took a direct hit to the helmet in the third inning against the Houston Astros, a truly terrifying moment that brought trainers from both dugouts onto the field. This wasn’t just any hit, either; it was a line drive off his own teammate’s bat, Ketel Marte, that sent a shockwave through Daikin Park. Despite the scary scene, the Diamondbacks found a way to rally, with Nolan Arenado crushing a go-ahead home run moments later, giving them the lead as they chased a crucial series win.
Early Scare for E-Rod and an Offense Needing a Spark
From the jump, things felt a little off for Eduardo Rodriguez on the mound. He was out there looking for a series win, aiming to put some much-needed distance between the Diamondbacks and their NL Wild Card competition, but his stuff wasn’t exactly lights out. The Astros got on the board first when Yordan Alvarez absolutely clobbered a solo home run off E-Rod. Rodriguez then walked both Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker, raising some serious eyebrows about his command early on, even though he got out of the jam with a Jose Altuve line out and a Nelson Velasquez strikeout.
Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks’ bats were quiet in the top of the first, with Perdomo’s hit by pitch being their only baserunner. This early struggle to score more than one run has been a real challenge for them, outside of that four-run explosion the night before. But then, Corbin Carroll kicked off the second inning with a double, advanced on a sac bunt from Tommy Troy, and scored on a sac fly from James McCann. Just like that, it was tied 1-1, giving everyone a bit of a breather after E-Rod’s shaky start and his continued command issues, like walking Dalton Varsho in the bottom of the second.
Chaos in the Third and Arenado’s Bomb
Then came the third inning, and man, was it a rollercoaster. Perdomo started it with a single, bringing Ketel Marte to the plate. Marte hit an 86 MPH changeup that looked like a routine single, but it turned into a heat-seeking missile straight to Perdomo’s helmet. He went down immediately, trainers from both teams rushing to his side. Talk about a gut punch to the whole squad! Perdomo eventually left under his own power, getting a respectful ovation from the Houston crowd, which was a relief to see. The play was officially scored a single for Marte, but Perdomo was out on runner’s interference, leaving Marte at first with one out. After Gabi, the DH, popped out, Nolan Arenado stepped up. He was sitting on a 2-2 count and then, BOOM! Arenado put one in the seats. Just like that, the player with the second most home runs in the league became tied for first, and the Diamondbacks had scored more than that single run, grabbing the lead.
That shot from Arenado wasn’t just a go-ahead homer; it was a roar from a team desperately clawing for space in that NL Wild Card fight. They needed a series win, and that blast put them in prime position, even after a chaotic, scary inning. Next up, they gotta finish this one out and keep that momentum rolling.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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