Snyder follows stolen homer with two-run shot, helping Diamondbacks beat Marlins 5-4

By John Marshall, AP
Saturday, July 10, 2010

Snyder hits two-run shot in D-backs’ 5-4 win

PHOENIX — Chris Snyder hit a two-run homer after having one stolen by Chris Coghlan the inning before and Stephen Drew sparked Arizona’s offense from the top of the order, lifting the Diamondbacks to a bizarre 5-4 win over the Florida Marlins on Saturday night.

Mark Reynolds hit his 20th homer, Ian Kennedy (4-7) ended a four-game losing streak and Drew scored two runs after early walks by Nate Robertson (6-7) as Arizona earned its second win in eight games.

Mike Stanton hit a solo homer over the pool in right-center for Florida, which tried to rally in the ninth inning. Ronny Paulino hit a two-run single off Chad Qualls before Juan Gutierrez closed it out for his second save in four chances.

Two middling teams facing each other in front of a small crowd in the air conditioning didn’t figure to be all that thrilling.

Turned out to be a sometimes-strange game that included colliding infielders, a ball bounding from one fielder to another and the home team’s closer getting booed off the field.

The theme was a portend of the bizarreness to come: ’80s day at Chase Field for two teams that didn’t exist until the ’90s.

Videos of Wang Chung, Wham! and Nena replaced the usual mix of rock, rap and country during batting practice.

A pregame parade included the “A Team” with a scrawny Mr. T, the “Ghostbusters” ambulance and a Delorean driven by a linebacker-looking guy who was supposed be Marty McFly from “Back to the Future.”

Diamondbacks players had whacky wigs superimposed on their heads or their faces on album covers on the video screen during at-bats, while Pacman sound effects played on strikeouts, Frogger noises on walks.

The fans even got into it, breaking into the seldom-seen-anymore wave in the bottom of the sixth inning just before Darth Vader and a group of Stormtroopers began wandering the aisles.

The game, at times, matched the peripheral peculiarity.

Arizona had a rare 5-6-3 putout in the fourth inning, when Cody Ross’ liner bounded out of Reynolds’ glove right to Drew at shortstop.

Florida first baseman Gaby Sanchez and second baseman Dan Uggla botched a popup in the fifth inning when they collided, but still got the forceout at second.

An inning earlier, Coghlan did a retro impression of Ken Griffey Jr., leaping to haul in Snyder’s drive just over the wall. Of course, the next homer came from Snyder, who made sure Coghlan had no chance with a shot over Arizona’s bullpen in left that gave the Diamondbacks a 5-2 lead.

It wasn’t quite over.

Qualls was charged with an error after he couldn’t come up with Ross’ chopper off the plate, Stanton hit a double and Paulino followed with a two-run single that made it 5-4. Qualls was booed off the field when manager Kirk Gibson pulled him, but Gutierrez made quick work of the Marlins, getting pinch-hitter Wes Helms to pop out and Coghlan on a game-ending double play.

NOTES: Arizona 1B Adam LaRoche sat out with a stiff back. … Stanton’s homer was his fifth. … Greg Schulte, radio voice of the Diamondbacks, called his 2,000th career game.

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