Greinke stars, then exits with trainer, D-backs rout Pirates

PHOENIX (AP) — Zack Greinke pitched shutout ball into the eighth inning before exiting with a trainer and the Arizona Diamondbacks routed Chris Archer and the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-1 on Wednesday.

Greinke (6-1) allowed four hits in 7 2-3 innings, then walked off the mound with a 2-2 count on the Pirates’ Cole Tucker. There was no immediate announcement on what prompted him to leave.

Greinke struck out five, walked none and raised his scoreless innings streak against the Pirates to 21 1-3 innings.

Blake Swihart hit a two-run, inside-the-park home run in the eighth, and Eduardo Escobar and Adam Jones also homered for the Diamondbacks, who went 6-1 against the Pirates this season. Jarrod Dyson had two hits, scored three runs and stole two bases.

Melky Cabrera drove in the Pirates’ run with a two-out single in the ninth.

Pirates pitcher Chris Archer’s first start since April 26, after which he went on the 10-day injured list with right thumb pain, didn’t go well. Archer walked the bases loaded in the first inning, and all three runners scored.

Archer (1-3) lasted just 3 2-3 innings, allowing six earned runs on four hits with four walks and a wild pitch.

Dyson came home on Ketel Marte’s soft single, Escobar scored on an error by third baseman Colin Moran and Nick Ahmed added a sacrifice fly to put Arizona ahead 3-0.

Archer rallied to strike out the side in the second inning, but the Diamondbacks plated four runs in the fourth, all with two outs.

After Dyson’s single, Escobar hit his ninth homer of the season. Jones’ ninth homer curled inside the left-field foul pole and into the Diamondbacks bullpen in the fifth off Pittsburgh’s Chris Stratton.

Escobar doubled in Dyson for his third RBI of the game in the eighth. Swihart hit a long flyball off the wall in right-center field and circled the bases for his second career inside-the-park homer.

Josh Bell got two hits for the Pirates, extending his career-high hitting streak to 15 games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Pirates: Archer’s return from injury led to the Pirates optioning RHP Clay Holmes to Triple-A Indianapolis. … OF Corey Dickerson (shoulder) is on track to throw long toss as soon as this weekend. … RHP Keone Kela (shoulder) could throw off a mound in the next few days.

Diamondbacks: OF David Peralta left the game after five innings with tightness on the right side of his upper back, replaced by Swihart in left field. … RHP Taijuan Walker (elbow surgery) is scheduled to pitch four innings in an extended spring training game Wednesday at the team’s facility in nearby Scottsdale.

UP NEXT

Pirates: Pittsburgh begins a four-game series at San Diego on Thursday, with RHP Trevor Williams (2-1, 3.40 ERA) scheduled to start the opener. He’s pitched at least six innings in each of his eight starts this season.

Diamondbacks: RHP Merrill Kelly (3-4, 4.70 ERA) gets the ball at home on Friday against the San Francisco Giants, the opener of a three-game series. It’ll be his first career start against the Giants.