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Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder and first baseman Pavin Smith made history on Sunday. He recorded three home runs against the Houston Astros, two of which were against Astros starting pitcher, Justin Verlander.
“Just one of those nights where you're in a zone,” Smith said, via ESPN. “Obviously, Justin's a great pitcher. I faced him before, and he's got great stuff, so once I was able to put a good swing the first at-bat it gave me confidence the rest of the game.”
Smith went hitless in his last two games, one of which he was a pinch hitter. His resurgence in Sunday's 12-6 win over the Astros marked a career-high eight RBIs in a single game. A grand slam, a three-run home run, and a solo shot led Smith to bringing in 75% of the Diamondbacks runs. His manager had all the confidence in the world in his left-handed slugger.
“It was a great day for Pavin,” Torey Lovullo said afterwards. “Pavin can hit. We always feel comfortable with his at-bats, his ability to come in the lineup after not playing for a couple of days and be able to barrel up the baseball.”
Can Pavin Smith help spark the offense for the Diamondbacks?
The Diamondbacks have certainly struggled in September after finishing August with a loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers. They have a 4-4 record and lost the weekend series to the Astros. Before then, they were humbled by the New York Mets and the Dodgers, losing both of those series at home.
They are still dealing with injuries and some returning players. Christian Walker made his return after missing August with an oblique injury. All-star Ketel Marte recently joined the lineup after being on the IL with an ankle injury. Despite the plethora of tough injuries, the Diamondbacks have over 80% odds to make the playoffs in the Wild Card spot.
With the last three of four season series against division rivals, Arizona needs to break out of its September slump and revert to its old swagger. Smith showcased that swagger when searching for his third home run against the Astros.
“It's something that not many people have done, and I figure if you have the chance you might as well go for it,” Smith said.
As the Diamondbacks look to punch their playoff ticket, they'll need more consistent offensive firepower, in addition to better pitching. Arizona takes on the Texas Rangers back in Phoenix for a short two-game series.
