Diaz' big day leads Legends past Tourists 7-6
After Asheville scored a run in the top of the first inning, the Legends came back with three in the bottom half. With one out, Albert Cartwright was hit by a pitch, and Diaz followed with an infield single. Brian Pellegrini was also hit by a pitch to load the bases. Steve Brown singled to score two runs, and one out later, Marques Williams beat out a ground ball to shortstop as Pellegrini scored to give Lexington a 3-1 lead.
The Legends added another run in the third. With one out, Diaz doubled to left center field, reaching second on a head-first slide just ahead of the throw. Pellegrini singled him to third, and after Brown was hit by a pitch, Diaz scored on Eric Suttle's ground out.
Asheville tied the game with three runs in the fourth inning. A double, a single and a fielder's choice loaded the bases, and Ryan Peisel delivered a two-run single. After a double steal put runners at second and third, David Christensen hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Jimmy Cesario to even the score at 4-4.
The Legends took the lead for good with two runs in the fifth. Cartwright walked, Diaz tripled, and Pellegrini doubled to put Lexington in front 6-4.
Steve Brown hit a solo home run in the seventh, his sixth homer of the year, to make it 7-4. The Legends needed that margin as Asheville scored a run in the eighth and another in the ninth on a home run by Kiel Roling, his second of the series and 14th of the year.
Diaz had one shot at hitting for the cycle, but flied to center in the seventh.
David Duncan (2-3) worked the first six innings and got the win. Patrick Urckfitz picked up his 13th save. Asheville starter Jonnathan Aristil (2-7) was the loser. The two teams meet again Monday night at Applebee's Park. Game time is 7:05 p.m.