PHOENIX -- Another Patrick Corbin gem wasted. Another blown save. Another missed opportunity to keep pace with the NL West-leading Dodgers.
And all of it wiped away with one swing of Paul Goldschmidt's bat.
In typical Goldschmidt fashion, the All-Star first baseman gave the D-backs a 5-4 win over the Mets on Friday, his latest heroics in an effort to keep his team in the NL West race.
"He was the right guy to have up there," manager Kirk Gibson said. "His at-bats earlier didn't work out the way he wanted them to. That one did."
Goldschmidt's laser shot to right field helped the D-backs avoid another bullpen-induced loss and stay within 5 1/2 games of the Dodgers. It was also his 27th home run of the season, most ever by a Diamondbacks first basemen.
What else is there to even say of Goldschmidt anymore?
"Oh my gosh," center fielder Adam Eaton began. "I played with him in Double-A and I was kind of stunned the first couple weeks I played with him, because he could do anything and everything. Defensively, he's stellar. Mentally, he's stellar. And now it's like I'm not even shocked anymore.
"He goes up there and I'm like, 'Eh, he's going to hit a walk-off. It's no big deal.' That's just him. He's going to do it."
It's hardly the first time this season Goldschmidt has left teammates singing his praises after a win. The home run was his second walk-off homer this season and just his latest clutch hit.
"I knew I hit it well, but it wasn't one of those ones I knew was going," Goldschmidt said. "I was just running hard, and I kind of saw the outfielder look up.
"It doesn't matter if it's you hitting it or a teammate hitting it -- you get an opportunity to win the game there in the ninth inning or extra innings or whatever it is, it's a lot of fun. Hopefully we can do it a few more times."
It was the second straight game the D-backs won in dramatic fashion by getting a big hit late in the game and their 23rd win in their final at-bat, most in baseball this season. It was this kind of win that propelled the D-backs to a long run atop the NL West earlier this season -- the kind of win that has evaded them lately.
With 20 runs over their three-game winning streak, the Diamondbacks may have found an offensive groove to get them on the roll they need. It will take more than Goldschmidt, but the clutch slugger, who had nine hits in his previous 50 at-bats before his homer Friday, is certainly a good place to start.
"We've seen we can do it," Goldschmidt said. "We just haven't consistently done it for a long time, especially the second half. We had spurts in the first half ,but definitely the last three weeks or whatever we haven't put it together for three games in a row.
"That's what we need to do. We need to be consistent these last six to seven weeks of the year, and if we do that, we should give ourselves at least a chance to make the playoffs."
