MLB: Arizona scores team-record 13 runs in fourth in victory
MATT PAULSON
AP Sports Writer
PHOENIX — Edwin Jackson just needed to connect at the plate to find his rhythm on the mound.
A team-record 13-run burst in the fourth inning, capped by the first homer of Jackson's career, put the Arizona newcomer into his comfort level.
Jackson, Chris Young and Kelly Johnson all homered in the big inning to send the Diamondbacks over the Pittsburgh Pirates 15-6 Sunday.
Jackson (1-1) went into the bottom of the fourth trailing 4-2 after giving up seven hits, but allowed only three hits in three scoreless innings after that.
"At first I had an adrenaline rush and was just too fast," he said. "I had to take a step back and slow down a little bit."
Jackson had two of Arizona's eight hits in the fourth and became the first pitcher to score two runs in an inning since last Aug. 14, when Randy Wells of the Cubs did it against Pittsburgh. Jackson singled early in the fourth, then finished it off with a two-run homer. At 400 feet, his drive was the longest of Arizona's four homers.
"When I saw (center fielder Andrew) McCutchen break down I knew it was gone, but I didn't know off the bat it was gone," said Jackson, who hadn't had a hit since June 18, 2007, against Arizona and was a career .129 hitter entering the day.
Catcher Chris Snyder, starting because Miguel Montero was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right knee sprain earlier in the day, homered for Arizona and tied his career high with five RBIs.
"Definitely not the way you want to get back in," Snyder said. "... It couldn't have worked out any better."
Young's homer was his third in four games and he drove in four runs, giving him nine RBIs for the series.
Stephen Drew drove in two runs and every Diamondbacks starter scored.
"The pitcher left some pitches over the plate," Young said of starter Daniel McCutchen. "It all started with Snyder. ... It was a trickle-down effect. Everybody was having good at bats."
The Diamondbacks easily surpassed the club record of eight runs in an inning. They matched a regular-season team mark for hits — they got nine in a 2001 World Series game against the Yankees — and home runs in the inning.
The Pirates tied a team record for most runs allowed in an inning. The other times were 1994 and 1890.
Jackson (1-1) settled down after a rough start to win his first game with Arizona. He was an All-Star last year with Detroit and was acquired in a three-team trade that sent Curtis Granderson to the Yankees.
Daniel McCutchen (0-1) lasted 3 1-3 innings in his season debut. He allowed nine runs on six hits, including three home runs. Seven runs and two of the homers came in the fourth.
"That's probably the worst (inning) I've had," he said. "No fun out there. I wish I would have been more mentally strong and stayed within myself a little more."
Bobby Crosby homered for the Pirates, Lastings Milledge had three hits and Delwyn Young drove in two runs.
Snyder, who said he is feeling ill, hit a two-run homer in the second on the first pitch he saw.
"That was the first swing I took all day," he said. "I was in the training room napping during (batting practice). I was a mess."
Young put the Diamondbacks ahead with a three-run homer and Johnson followed with a home run. After back-to-back singles by Jackson and Conor Jackson, Stephen Drew tripled to chase McCutchen.
Drew came home on Hayden Penn's wild pitch and Justin Upton scored on a groundout. Snyder greeted reliever Jack Taschner with a three-run double and Jackson followed with his home run.
"Every time we were getting a hit, it was multiple runs and that's what turned into a big inning," Young said.
"To put up that many quality at bats in a row is hard to do in this league," Arizona manager A.J. Hinch said.
Jackson won despite allowing 10 hits, the most he has give up since Sept. 24, 2008, when he surrendered 10 hits to Baltimore. He won that game also.
Since starting 2-0, Pittsburgh has lost three of four and has been outscored 36-15. The Pirates have allowed at least nine runs in each of their losses and 45 total, the most in the National League.
Pittsburgh scored three times and hit for the cycle in the third to go up 4-2. Following Andrew McCutchen's homer to left field, Milledge doubled down the right-field line, Ryan Church reached on an infield single and both scored when Delwyn Young's liner to shallow center got past a diving Chris Young. Church ended up with a triple.