Nolan Arenado’s first-inning slam sparks D-backs’ blowout of Giants

Nolan Arenado hit Robbie Ray’s sixth pitch of the game for a grand slam and the Arizona Diamondbacks opened a three-game home series against the San Francisco Giants with a 12-2 victory on Monday.

Gabriel Moreno added a two-run homer, helping the Diamondbacks record the sixth victory in the past nine games.

Zac Gallen limited the Giants to two runs in six innings, and rookie Ryan Waldschmidt chipped in with a career-high three hits.

It didn’t take Arizona, opening a seven-game homestand, long to take control of the game.

Ketel Marte singled on Ray’s second pitch of the night, and Corbin Carroll singled on the next delivery. The Diamondbacks then loaded the bases on Ray’s fourth offering when Matt Chapman booted Geraldo Perdomo’s groundball.

After Arenado took a ball, he launched a 403-foot bomb to left field, his seventh homer of the season and the seventh grand slam of his career.

The Diamondbacks tacked on one run in the second and two more in the third before blowing the game open with a five-run fifth that included Moreno’s second homer of the season.

Ray (3-6) was pulled two batters later, and he wound up charged with 10 runs (nine earned) on 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out one. The hit, run and earned run totals were all career worsts.

Winning for the first time since April 1, Gallen (2-4) allowed four hits and one walk while striking out five.

Moreno, Marte, Carroll and Ildemaro Vargas had two hits apiece for the Diamondbacks, whose total of 16 matched their season high. The 12 runs equaled Arizona’s best of the year, also achieved on April 26 against the San Diego Padres.

Marte also drove in two runs and scored twice, Tim Tawa had two RBIs, and Waldschmidt, Moreno and Vargas also scored two runs each.

Willy Adames homered, his fourth of the season, for the Giants, who had won two straight. Bryce Eldridge and Harrison Bader collected two hits apiece.

–Field Level Media