Corbin Carroll’s 8th-Inning Grand Slam Lifts Diamondbacks Over Blue Jays

In a wild game packed with late-inning drama and big moments, the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-2 on Saturday. They rode a go-ahead grand slam from Corbin Carroll in the eighth inning, notching their fourth straight win.

Ildemaro Vargas kept his MLB-leading hitting streak alive at 17 games. Lourdes Gurriel returned to the lineup, and Arizona’s bullpen looked sharp after strong outings from starters Max Scherzer and Zac Gallen.

Scherzer showed flashes of his old dominance, while Gallen battled through six tough innings. Arizona pieced together clutch hits and solid defense to finish off Toronto in Phoenix.

Go-ahead swing and late-inning surge

Carroll’s eighth-inning blast broke open a close game. Alek Thomas singled, Ketel Marte drew a walk, and then Carroll hammered a 3-1 pitch to left-center for his fourth career grand slam—just his third homer of the year.

The crowd erupted. Suddenly, what felt like a nail-biter turned into a comfortable finish for the D-backs.

Carroll’s Grand Slam seals the win

That 3-1 count looked like trouble for Toronto, and Carroll didn’t miss. He jumped on Hoffman’s fastball and sent it deep for a season-defining moment.

The slam put Arizona up 6-2. The bullpen took over and kept the Jays at bay, working quickly and keeping the pressure on Toronto’s hitters until the end.

Vargas’ hitting streak and Gurriel’s return

Earlier in the eighth, Ildemaro Vargas led off with a single against Jeff Hoffman, making it 17 games in a row with a hit. He just keeps finding ways to get on base when Arizona needs it.

Gurriel went 0-for-4 in his first game back, but he made his presence felt in the field. He threw out Myles Straw trying to stretch a single into a double, showing off the D-backs’ defensive chops.

Pitching notes: Scherzer, Gallen, and the bullpen

Max Scherzer started things off for Arizona, giving up just one run over six innings. He threw 74 pitches, walked one, and struck out one—pretty efficient stuff, honestly.

Scherzer looked like his old self at times, jawing with hitters and working with a competitive edge. Zac Gallen followed, going 5 2/3 innings and allowing nine hits and two runs before leaving in the sixth.

Arizona’s bullpen shut the door after that. Once Carroll’s slam put them ahead, they didn’t let Toronto back in.

Juan Morillo picked up his first big-league win, tossing 1 1/3 scoreless innings and giving Arizona exactly what they needed to get to the closer. Hoffman took the loss for the Jays, dropping to 1-2.

Blue Jays’ rally and defensive plays

Toronto made things interesting in the sixth, tying it up on a two-out RBI single by Kazuma Okamoto. That run came after a replay overturned what looked like a double play—Geraldo Perdomo was ruled off the bag at second.

That call changed the inning’s mood, but the Jays couldn’t keep the rally going. Gurriel’s throw from the outfield in the late innings helped Arizona shut down another Toronto threat.

With the loss, Toronto turns to Kevin Gausman for Sunday’s series finale against Ryne Nelson. They’ll try to salvage something in a city that’s become a familiar battleground for both clubs this season.

Series outlook: what to watch next

• Gausman vs. Nelson will decide the series in Arizona’s home-friendly environment. Toronto’s rotation faces a D-backs squad riding confidence from back-to-back wins.
• Arizona’s four-game win streak is a momentum builder. Carroll’s power and Vargas’ steady bat have fueled their late-game success.
• Lourdes Gurriel’s return adds a veteran dimension to the lineup and defense. That could shake up Arizona’s outfield dynamics in the coming weeks.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Corbin Carroll hits grand slam in 8th in the Diamondbacks’ 6-2 victory over the Blue Jays