Corbin Carroll, D-backs Look to Ride Power Surge vs. Jays

Corbin Carroll was one of the most exciting players in baseball last year in his first full major league season. The reigning National League Rookie of the Year has been in a season-long slump but showed signs of breaking out with two homers and a career-best six RBIs in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 12-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday night.

Corbin Carroll’s Performance

Carroll will look to build on his success Sunday afternoon as Arizona tries to complete a three-game sweep of the visiting Blue Jays in Phoenix. Last season, Carroll was a consistent force for the Diamondbacks, finishing fifth in NL MVP voting. The All-Star batted .285 with 25 homers, 30 doubles, 10 triples, 76 RBIs, and 54 steals, helping Arizona reach the World Series. But this season has been a struggle. Carroll’s current slash line sits at .213/.300/.335, even after his huge game, with just five homers and 32 RBIs.

Quotes and Insights

“He’s probably been waiting for a night like this,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. Carroll doesn’t want to declare he’s back to his 2023 form just yet but acknowledged seeing progress after hitting a three-run homer, a two-run shot, and a sacrifice fly. “I’ve been working really hard,” Carroll said. “To see a couple of swings pay off tonight, that’s great. I still think there’s a lot of work to do. It makes it a little easier to keep moving forward when you see some results behind it. I’m going to keep attacking.”

Team Performance and Context

Carroll wasn’t the only Diamondback with a hot bat on Saturday. Jose Herrera recorded three of the team’s 15 hits, and five others contributed two hits each to propel the Diamondbacks to their 10th win in 14 games. Eugenio Suarez smacked a two-run homer, his fourth in his past seven games. Meanwhile, Toronto managed just five hits and committed two errors in Saturday’s drubbing, marking their eighth loss in their last 13 games. “Today was a [poor] game all around,” Toronto manager John Schneider said. “Every aspect of it – baserunning, offense, defense, pitching – it wasn’t a good game.”

Pitching Matchup: Gallen vs. Kikuchi

The Blue Jays will face Arizona right-hander Zac Gallen (6-5, 3.33 ERA), who hasn’t been sharp in his first two July outings. Gallen has allowed eight runs (seven earned) and 11 hits over 9 1/3 innings this month. He received a no-decision against the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 4 and lost to the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday. Gallen, 28, lost his only career start against the Blue Jays nearly 12 months ago, giving up three runs and six hits over five innings. George Springer is 3-for-9 with one homer off Gallen, while Justin Turner is 3-for-18 with nine strikeouts.

Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (4-8, 4.00 ERA) will start for Toronto. He is winless (0-3) in his past five starts but is coming off a strong performance on Tuesday against the San Francisco Giants. Kikuchi struck out a career-best 13 in 7 1/3 innings while settling for a no-decision. He gave up two runs – both on solo homers – and six hits without issuing a walk. Kikuchi’s last victory came on June 11 when he tossed five shutout innings against the Milwaukee Brewers. The 33-year-old is 0-1 with a 3.45 ERA in three career starts against the Diamondbacks. Kevin Newman is 2-for-4 and Christian Walker is 2-for-6 against Kikuchi, while Ketel Marte is 0-for-5 with three strikeouts.

Conclusion

As Corbin Carroll aims to continue his breakout performance, the Diamondbacks look to complete a sweep against the Blue Jays. With Zac Gallen and Yusei Kikuchi set to pitch, fans can expect an exciting and competitive matchup. Both teams are making strategic changes to their lineups and bullpens, adding to the intrigue of this crucial game.