PHOENIX -- Yonny Chirinos didn¡¯t slip up much as he pitched six strong relief innings and earned the win in the Rays¡¯ 6-1 win over the D-backs on Thursday afternoon at Chase Field.

Except for when he literally slipped on the mound, that is.

Chirinos offered a reminder that baseball is not only a game, but a vehicle for other forms of entertainment while finishing off an inning-ending strikeout against Alek Thomas in the fifth.

Chirinos was ahead in the count, 1-2, and was looking to get a little bit extra on his next sinker. He fired one at 94 mph, the hardest of his 84 pitches on the day, and Thomas took the inside pitch for a called third strike. But as the right-hander landed, his left foot gave out, sending him crashing to the mound.

¡°That always happens,¡± said Chirinos, smiling, through interpreter Manny Navarro. ¡°When you've got those two strikes and you want to go a little extra aggressive, that's the effectiveness that I wanted on that pitch.¡±

Chirinos said that wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯s taken a trip like that. Fortunately, no pitchers were harmed in the process of this tumble. As Chirinos walked off the mound, he couldn¡¯t suppress a grin directed toward catcher Francisco Mej¨ªa.

Suffice it to say, Chirinos was on the receiving end of some good-natured jokes from his teammates after his fall.

¡°They're everywhere, all laughing, but I was just not trying to get out of my focus level at that point,¡± Chirinos said. ¡°They were laughing, but it's part of the game.¡±

¡°It's something that's fun,¡± shortstop Wander Franco said through Navarro, ¡°and something we can laugh at.¡±