Tucson breaks through behind Scherzer

Max Scherzer helped Tucson to its first win of the semifinal series versus Sardine City, striking out 11 in 6 innings as the bullpen held on for a 5-4 win in Game 3 on Wednesday night.

The top-seeded Straphangers still lead the best-of-seven series, 2-1, with Game 4 in Tucson on Thursday.

Scherzer's only blemish early was a solo homer by Edwin Encarnacion in the 2nd inning but he K'd 5 batters around that hit.

Tucson plated 3 runs in the 3rd, taking advantage of a hit batsman (No. 8 hitter Avisail Garcia) to start the inning. Brandon Crawford doubled to put two in scoring position and Brett Gardner delivered with a run-scoring single to tie it at 1-1. Jose Altuve followed with a double to give the King Snakes a 2-1 lead. Before Mike Zunino and Nelson struck out to end the inning, Gardner scored on Marcell Ozuna's ground out to short for a 3-1 edge. Ozuna drove in Tucson's 4th run with a single after a two-out double by Altuve in the 5th inning.

Meanwhile, Scherzer held the Straphangers in check until the 6th. Eric Sogard led off with a double to left center and it looked like Scherzer might get out of it, retiring the next two batters, but Cody Bellinger went the other way, doubling down the left-field line to plate Sogard.

Tucson added an insurance run in the 7th. After Garcia doubled, Crawford walked, and Gardner came up with another RBI single to make it 5-2. Jimmy Nelson kept the King Snakes from having a big inning, getting out of hand by getting Altuve grounded into an inning-ending double play.

The Straphangers inched back in the top of the 8th, during Felipe Rivero's second inning of work. Evan Longoria reached on an error by Altuve and Sardine City sent up Javier Baez to bat for Sogard but after two homers in Game 2, he struck out. George Springer lined a single to shallow left, setting up an run-scoring single to right center by Eric Hosmer that scored Longoria, making it 5-3.

Bellinger grounded to 3rd base, forcing Hosmer at 2nd, but Springer scored, cutting the Tucson lead to 5-4.

Encarnacion singled down the right field line, keeping rally going, with Bellinger taking 3rd base. With two out and two on in a one-run game, Game 2 hero Stephen Piscotty stepped to the plate but came up empty, flying out to right to end the 8th.

Scherzer (3-0) struck out 11 in 6 innings (67 of his 103 pitches for strikes, .650). He walked one and gave up 2 runs on 5 hits. Rivero went two innings, allowing 3 hits and 2 unearned runs, striking out two. Craig Kimbrel (S, 3) struck out the side in the 9th to lock down the 5-4 victory.

Nelson (0-1) went 7 1/3 innings, yielding 9 hits and 5 runs. He struck out 6 and walked 2 over 107 pitches (71 for strikes, .663)

Sogard and Encarnacion finished two hits a piece and Bellinger had 2 RBI for Sardine City. Altuve had 3 hits for Tucson while Gardner had 2 hits and drove in 2. Ozuna also had 2 RBI.

Tucson had 5 runs on 9 hits but left only 3 men on base. Sardine City finished with 4 runs on 8 hits and left 5 men on.