PHOENIX — Diamondbacks starter Michael Soroka delivered seven innings with two earned runs at Chase Field on Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays, and Arizona improved to 4-0 in games he has started so far this year.
Third baseman Nolan Arenado homered in Arizona’s 6-3 win, the club’s third straight victory to improve to 12-8 through 20 games.
Paul Sewald picked up his seventh save in as many opportunities, while eight of nine starters in the lineup recorded a hit against the defending American League-champion Blue Jays (7-12).
“Good day for us, and it was really around what Michael Soroka was able to do,” manager Torey Lovullo said.
“Really good day for him, and it set everything up for us. Paul collects his seventh save. We had some timely hitting, the big home run by Arenado. … Well-played defensively. Just a game that we enjoy playing. We seem to live in that space.”
With Arizona’s win paired a San Diego Padres loss in Anaheim and a Los Angeles Dodgers win in Colorado on Friday, the three National League West clubs are tied for the most victories in the majors since March 30 with 12 each.
Michael Soroka gets through 7 for Diamondbacks
Soroka got through seven innings pitched in a start for the first time since 2019 with the Atlanta Braves. That was before his first Achilles tear, second Achilles tear and the numerous injuries he has gone through since his All-Star campaign at 21 years old.
The last time Soroka pitched seven innings was on Aug. 22, 2019. Curtis Granderson made an appearance in that game before retiring at season’s end.
In four starts with the Diamondbacks, Soroka has averaged 5.2 innings per outing with an ERA of 2.87.
He needed only 29 pitches to get through the first three innings, with his only hit allowed at that time coming from a pop-up that left fielder Tim Tawa lost in the lights or the sky.
The two runs Soroka surrendered were a squeeze play executed by Lenyn Sosa in the fourth inning and a solo home run from Myles Straw — who entered the game for Daulton Varsho due to left knee tightness — in the sixth.
Soroka finished with five strikeouts, no walks and five hits. He increased his cutter usage to draw weak contact against a lineup that came out aggressive.
“We knew that cutter was going to be big today,” Soroka said. “We knew how their approach was. I think it was time to make sure we got it in a little bit more. That was a big one tonight. Still kind of came down to executing some good breaking balls late. We did that, too.”
Soroka is the first Diamondbacks pitcher to start a season 4-0 since Chase Anderson in 2014. Micah Owings and Brandon Webb did so in 2008, while Randy Johnson started at least 6-0 in 2000 and 2002.
“It’s obviously incredible to be able to have that and to be with a team that gives run support, they play defense, so it’s easy for me to go out there and just let it rip,” Soroka said. “A lot of good plays behind me today. Starting 4-0 is has as much to do with them as it does with me.”
Soroka’s 28 strikeouts rank 14th in Major League Baseball, while his 4.67 strikeouts-per-walk ratio is 10th among 85 qualified starters.
Nolan Arenado getting going?
Arenado put the Diamondbacks on the board with a frozen rope to left field, just high enough to get over the fence for his first home run at Chase Field since joining the team.
He did it off a familiar foe, left-hander Eric Lauer, whom Arenado has homered off four times in his career.
“That’s what this game is about. If they make mistakes, you’ve got to be able to make them pay,” Arenado said. “I haven’t really been able to do that. But the last few games, I feel like I’ve started to hit the ball hard and make some good decisions. It’s been nice to see.”
The Diamondbacks built a 3-1, 5-2 and eventually 6-3 lead with RBI knocks coming from Corbin Carroll, Jose Fernandez, Tim Tawa and another from Arenado.
Arenado lined a single in the seventh inning to plate an insurance run, as the veteran third baseman has three home runs in his last four games and three multi-hit performances in the same timeframe. Arenado was hitting .180 before this stretch. That is up to .224.
“I’m just trying to get back and try to load a little earlier,” Arenado said. “Make good decisions. And putting a lot of work in the cage with my leg kick, toe-tap kind of thing. Just trying to give myself a chance to recognize it and then be able to attack.”
Lovullo said Arenado looks more in sync with his top half and lower half, which Arenado agreed with.
“I still think there’s some things I can obviously get better at, but the past few games it’s been good to see,” Arenado said.
Nolan Arenado on making adjustments early this season: pic.twitter.com/nrAS8kqzXE
— Alex Weiner (@alexjweiner) April 18, 2026
Geraldo Perdomo executes critical double play
In the box score, Straw grounded into a typical 4-6-3 double play in the eighth inning against D-backs reliever Jonathan Loaisiga.
In reality, shortstop Geraldo Perdomo may have saved the game.
Arizona led 5-2, but the Blue Jays started the eighth with back-to-back singles off Loaisiga. Straw hit a bouncer up the middle, which Vargas got a glove on but could not secure. The ball kicked up just enough for Perdomo, coming over to cover the bag, to scoop it up, step on the base and fire to first in one fell swoop.
Standard 4-6-3. pic.twitter.com/v75Uzv5IFO
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) April 18, 2026
“It was one of those, ‘Oh no. My God. I can’t believe it. Yes! It was awesome,’ plays,” Lovullo described.
“Perdomo with the instinct to be there and make that play was unbelievable,” Arenado said.
Had Perdomo not played that ricochet perfectly, the Blue Jays could have had superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. up with the bases loaded and nobody out in a three-run game.
Toronto ended up scoring one run in the inning on a Guerrero single, but the Diamondbacks limited the damage and immediately got the run back on a Tawa double off former Diamondbacks reliever Joe Mantiply.
What happens when a Golden Glover fields a fair ball?
A no-harm-no-foul moment happened with a Golden Glover sitting down the first-base line in the seventh inning.
Golden Glovers sit along the wall on the warning track and gather foul balls while wearing a glove and a helmet.
Interference by the ball boy places Andrés Giménez at second base 👀 pic.twitter.com/ydKokUWSpt
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 18, 2026
Only this time, a Golden Glover fielded a fair ball hit down the line by Toronto’s Andrés Gimenez. The Diamondbacks executed a relay and threw out Gimenez going to third base on a strike from second baseman Ildemaro Vargas, but the umpires gathered and gave Gimenez second base on the dead ball.
Soroka stranded Gimenez on third base in the seventh by striking out Ernie Clement.
Gallen vs. Scherzer
The series continues on Saturday with Zac Gallen making his fifth start of the year.
41-year-old Max Scherzer will pitch for Toronto after he allowed eight earned runs in his last appearance.
The D-backs could get a reinforcement for the lineup, as manager Torey Lovullo said on Friday that he would not be surprised if outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. returned from ACL surgery rehab this weekend.
The game starts at 5:10 p.m. MST on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app.
