Extra work paying off for Goldschmidt

By Anthony Fenech / MLB.com | 08/12/11

PHOENIX -- Paul Goldschmidt doesn't think as many people knew about his home run against the Astros on Thursday night.

"I had a few texts," he said. "But I had more for my debut."

Goldschmidt said he was greeted by about 20 text messages after his ninth-inning, pinch-hit, game-tying home run to send the game into extra innings, where Chris Young eventually ended it in walk-off fashion for an 8-5 victory in 10 innings.

"There's a lot of guys from [Double-A] Mobile that I keep in touch with, and family members and stuff like that," he said.

D-backs manager Kirk Gibson thinks the home run was a product of the time the rookie first baseman has put in trying to improve at the plate.

"The kid really asks a lot of questions, and he's had a lot of conversations," Gibson said on Thursday. "He's put in extra work -- is trying to understand at-bats, breaking balls -- and he battled."

In a 2-2 count, after fouling off another Mark Melancon breaking ball with a good swing, the Astros' right-handed closer left a fastball over the middle of the plate that Goldschmidt crushed.

"The second breaking ball he fouled off, he had a pretty good swing on," Gibson said. "Then, [Melancon] tried to get the fastball in, and he's very quick in there. That's a big at-bat from a youngster, there."

And while Goldschmidt didn't know how much he could draw from that at-bat, he said, "It doesn't hurt, that's for sure."