D-backs rout White Sox 10-0 on June 24, 2025, as Pavin Smith homers twice. But injuries to Eugenio Suárez & Josh Naylor make it a costly victory.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Tuesday night at Chase Field should have been a pure celebration—a 10-0 drubbing of the Chicago White Sox powered by a long-awaited power surge from Pavin Smith. But the cheers were tempered with concern as two key cogs in the Diamondbacks' lineup, Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor, exited the game with injuries, casting a long shadow over a much-needed win.
Pavin Smith went 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs, snapping a month-long slump in spectacular fashion.
If you were waiting for Pavin Smith to break out of his June funk, you got your wish and then some. Smith put on an absolute clinic, launching two home runs to lead the D-backs' offensive onslaught. His first, a three-run blast in the second inning, blew the game open early. He wasn't done, adding a 416-foot solo shot in the fourth for good measure. It was his second career multi-homer game and a massive sigh of relief for a player who entered the night hitting just .158 this month. This is the version of Pavin Smith the team needs, providing power from the left side and lengthening the lineup.
While Smith was circling the bases, the dugout was dealing with significant losses. Both third baseman Eugenio Suárez and first baseman Josh Naylor were forced to leave the game early with undisclosed injuries. The team has yet to provide details, but losing two middle-of-the-order bats for any length of time would be a devastating blow. The win, which moved Arizona to 40-38, was otherwise flawless. Ryne Nelson was brilliant on the mound, tossing six shutout innings with seven strikeouts, and Ketel Marte added his own homer to the pile. But as the final out was recorded, the focus immediately shifted from the scoreboard to the training room.
In a massive piece of off-the-field news, the years of uncertainty surrounding the D-backs' home are finally over. The Arizona legislature passed bill HB2704, which provides crucial funding for renovations and upgrades to Chase Field. With Governor Hobbs expected to sign it, the bill secures the team's long-term future in downtown Phoenix. For a franchise dealing with immediate on-field concerns, knowing their stadium situation is locked in for years to come is a significant, stabilizing victory for the entire organization.
Quietly, the Anthony DeSclafani reclamation project continued. The veteran righty, signed just over a week ago, pitched in long relief and showed some promising signs, generating 11 whiffs on 45 pitches. While his 6.14 ERA isn't pretty, the team knew this would be a process after he missed all of 2024. For now, he'll continue to eat innings out of the bullpen, and if the swing-and-miss stuff keeps ticking up, he could become a valuable piece for the pitching staff down the stretch.
The D-backs head into their next game with a win under their belt but holding their breath. The immediate focus will be on the medical reports for Suárez and Naylor. Will the team need to make roster moves? Who will step up in their absence? A dominant win raised the team's record, but the events of Tuesday night created a critical inflection point for the season's trajectory.
