Arizona hitters tee off on Archer, Pittsburgh

Associated Press

PHOENIX

Zack Greinke was cruising along when he felt something wrong. Taking no chances, the Arizona Diamondbacks ace called it a day.

Greinke pitched shutout ball into the eighth inning before exiting with abdominal tightness and the Diamondbacks routed Chris Archer and the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-1.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Greinke would get an MRI on Friday. Arizona is off Thursday.

Greinke (6-1) allowed four hits in 72/3 innings, then walked off the mound with a trainer with a 2-2 count on Pirates reliever Chris Stratton. Greinke said he felt his injury during that at-bat.

Greinke struck out five, walked none and kept up his recent run of success — he has a 1.09 ERA in his last six starts, allowing five earned runs in 411/3 innings. He also raised his scoreless innings streak against the Pirates to 211/3 innings.

Blake Swihart hit a two-run, inside-the-park home run in the eighth, and Eduardo Escobar and Adam Jones also homered for the Diamondbacks, who went 6-1 against the Pirates this season. Jarrod Dyson had two hits, scored three runs and stole two bases.

Melky Cabrera drove in the Pirates’ run with a two-out single in the ninth.

Pirates pitcher Chris Archer’s first start since April 26, after which he went on the 10-day injured list with right thumb pain, didn’t go well. He walked the bases loaded in the first inning, and all three runners scored.

Archer (1-3) lasted just 3 2-3 innings, allowing six earned runs on four hits with four walks and a wild pitch.

Dyson came home on Ketel Marte’s soft single, Escobar scored on an error by third baseman Colin Moran and Nick Ahmed added a sacrifice fly to put Arizona ahead 3-0.

Archer rallied to strike out the side in the second inning, but the Diamondbacks plated four runs in the fourth, all with two outs.

“Poor. Very, very poor. I just didn’t have good command at all,” Archer said. “I don’t really know what to say other than that.

“They exploited my lack of control,” Archer added.