PHOENIX — Kevin Newman and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. each hit two-run doubles and the Arizona Diamondbacks stretched their winning streak to four games with an 8-5 victory over the slumping San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night.
''This isn't anything that is happening by luck — we've been working our butt off to make this moment happen,'' Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. ''I think the guys are responding to all that extra work and all that extra time that they're putting in, and we finally get those results. It feels pretty good.''
Arizona received some shocking news earlier in the day, learning reliever Andrew Saalfrank was among five players sanctioned by Major League Baseball for betting on games. The left-hander, who appeared in two games this season before being optioned to Triple-A Reno, was suspended for a year while San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano was banned from baseball for life.
The suspension was a hot topic in the clubhouse, but the Diamondbacks didn't let it affect them on the field.
Newman hit a two-run double off Kyle Harrison (4-3) in the third inning and Gurriel hit his in Arizona's four-run seventh. Gabriel Moreno also finished with two RBIs and Blaze Alexander had three of Arizona's 13 hits.
Kevin Ginkel (4-1) allowed two hits in 1 1/3 innings in his first game since taking a comebacker off the left knee against the New York Mets on Saturday. The right-hander gave up Patrick Bailey's bloop, run-scoring single in the fifth inning, but it was charged to starter Blake Walston.
Paul Sewald closed it out in the ninth, working around a hit batter for his sixth save.
''Offensively, we're just passing the bat to the next guy and getting on base, grind and trying to take the next base,'' Alexander said. ''And then you're getting some big hits and big moments throughout.''