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Arizona Diamondbacks' drubbing of Pittsburgh Pirates overshadowed by Chris Iannetta injury

By Jose Romero, The Sports Xchange
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Patrick Corbin delivers a pitch. File photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Patrick Corbin delivers a pitch. File photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

PHOENIX -- The celebration of an 11-4 drubbing of the Pittsburgh Pirates was subdued in the Arizona Diamondbacks' clubhouse Friday night.

Catcher Chris Iannetta left the game in the bottom of the seventh inning after getting hit above his mouth with a pitch from Pirates reliever Johnny Barbato. Iannetta was able to get to his feet and walk to the dugout, but after the game went to a local hospital to be further examined.

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Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Iannetta's top lip was split.

"I think the pitch just got away from their pitcher, and I'll stand by that," Lovullo said. "Anytime you see one of your family members go through something like that, it's pretty traumatic. It had a huge impact on our dugout. He is a veteran, he is well-liked. He's a leader, and he went down, and it hurts."

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Before the incident, Brandon Drury continued his torrid hitting at home with a three-hit night that included a three-run home run. Drury has reached base in 17 of 18 home games this season and leads the National League with a .454 batting average at home.

His home run highlighted a seven-run third inning. He also doubled and singled to give him a 10-game hitting streak at Chase Field.

"We preach being ready to be the guy to break the game open," Lovullo said. "It was a great swing ... from that point forward, we were in command of that ballgame."

Drury said there isn't anything too special about his success in his own park.

"I feel good right now. I've got a pretty good routine going in the cage and on the field, and it's translating into the game," Drury said. "Anytime we're hitting around and guys are getting big hits, it's always fun."

Iannetta hit a solo home run to start the third inning. After being hit, he was replaced behind the plate by Chris Herrmann.

David Peralta and Jake Lamb each added three hits, part of the Diamondbacks' 16-hit attack. Patrick Corbin pitched six innings for the win to improve to 3-4, allowing four runs on six hits.

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The slumping Pirates (14-22) lost their sixth straight game, a season high, and are 3-10 in their last 13 games.

Down 1-0, the Diamondbacks tied the game at 1 on Iannetta's mammoth shot off the batter's eye in straightaway center field to lead off the third. It was Iannetta's third home run of the season.

The Diamondbacks were far from finished, as six hitters in a row reached base. Arizona was in total control by the time the hot-hitting Drury belted a towering shot into the left field seats for a 7-1 lead.

Pirates starter Tyler Glasnow (1-3) lasted just 2 2/3 innings, giving up seven runs on seven hits with a pair of walks and three strikeouts.

"He wasn't able to get fastball execution. We weren't able to sequence like we needed to," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of Glasnow. "This is a good hitting fastball team, fastballs were elevated. Catching way too much of the plate. He needed to mix in some other pitches. We didn't game plan very well and he couldn't get out of the inning."

Glasnow agreed.

"I was just elevating the ball. It flattened out on me and people were making good contact," he said.

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Pittsburgh cut the lead to 7-3 thanks to Josh Bell's two-out, two-run home run in the top of the fourth. Bell has six home runs on the season to lead the Pirates.

But the Diamondbacks got those runs back and then some, with Lamb's two-run single off reliever Josh Lindblom plus RBI singles for Chris Owings and Yasmany Tomas for an 11-3 lead.

NOTES: The Pirates added INF David Freese and UTL Adam Frazier to the active roster from the disabled list, sending INF Chris Bostick and INF Max Moroff to Triple-A Indianapolis. Freese started at third base and Frazier, who'd been on a three-game rehab stint at Indianapolis, pinch hit in the seventh. ... C Francisco Cervelli did not play due to knee pain that returned during an at-bat in Thursday's game. ... The Diamondbacks announced that RHP Zack Godley will start Monday against the New York Mets. Godley was being considered for the fifth spot in the rotation and earned at least another look with his most recent start, a four-hitter through seven innings in which he beat Detroit, 7-1. ... RHP Jake Barrett was reinstated from the 10-day disabled list (right shoulder inflammation) and optioned to Triple-A Reno before Friday's game. ... The seven runs in the third inning were tied for the second-most scored by Arizona against Pittsburgh.

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