Grit Index: Too little, too late as Arizona Diamondbacks fall 4-1 to Toronto Blue Jays

The Arizona Diamondbacks tried to come back and beat the Toronto Blue Jays in the bottom of the ninth, but it was too little, too late as the home team fell 4-1 in Game One of the three-game series at Chase Field.

Toronto starting pitcher Esmil Rogers was nearly unhittable, frustrating Arizona’s offense from the first toss of the game. He allowed a single hit to Martin Prado in the second inning and did not allow another base runner until Tony Campana drew a walk in the seventh.

D-backs starter Brandon McCarthy was equally as solid, pitching a complete game while giving up four earned runs on five hits with two strikeouts and no walks.

McCarthy got into some trouble in the second, giving up two runs on three hits, but settled in after that to make quick work of the Blue Jays through eight innings. In the ninth frame, the 6-foot-7 pitcher gave up a leadoff single to Ryan Goins, and Edwin Encarnacion followed with a two-run homer to give Toronto the 4-0 lead.

Once Rogers was pulled from the game in the seventh, the D-backs started to get some traction on offense. Cliff Pennington led off the ninth with a double, and Willie Bloomquist followed with an pinch-hit RBI single to give Arizona its lone run of the day. A.J. Pollock then earned a pinch-hit walk, but a fly out by Adam Eaton and Paul Goldschmidt hitting into a double play ended the game and the team’s bid at another come-from-behind victory.

The Good:

Brandon McCarthy made his second straight solid start Monday. Although he was handed the loss and allowed four earned runs, he kept the Diamondbacks in the game until giving up a two-run homer in the top of the ninth. It looks like the adjustment McCarthy said he made after the loss against the Cincinatti Reds on August 21st has been working out for him.

Including his start against San Diego on August 26th, which was a 6-1 win, McCarthy has worked 16.0 innings, allowed four earned runs, given up 10 hits and recorded zero walks and seven strikeouts.

The Bad:

The D-backs had seven runners on base the entire nine innings and six of the seven came in the seventh inning or later. They were unable to get to Toronto starter Esmil Rogers, who left after 6.1 innings after allowing one hit, one walk and striking out five. Rogers recorded 11 groundball outs and has recorded at least 10 groundball outs in 10 of his last 16 starts this season.

The D-backs were also 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position, and they left two on base while recording only four hits the entire game.

Noted:

-Brandon McCarthy recorded his eighth career complete game and recorded 19 ground outs. He also retired 19 of the 20 batters he faced from the final out of the second inning through the eighth.

-Martin Prado continues his hitting streak and it now sits at nine games. He’s also hit safely in 18 of his last 19 games.

He Said It:

“You’ll have to ask them. You think everybody is that damn good? Come on. Everybody isn’t Cy Young and sometimes you have to beat Cy Young. You gotta figure out a way to do it, so that part is disappointing. We hit into four double plays today. Overall, I’m not happy with the way that’s coming out. You gotta grind a little harder; make it a little tougher on them.”
— Manager Kirk Gibson when he was asked about Esmil Rogers was able to do to his offense.

Up Next:

The Diamondbacks return to Chase Field on Tuesday night to face the Toronto Blue Jays in Game Two of this three-game stand. Lefty Wade Miley will go for Arizona with a 9-9 record and a 3.55 ERA. Miley is 3-1 with a 2.39 ERA in his last seven starts, and 2-0 with a 2.67 ERA in four interleague starts this season.

Todd Redmond is scheduled to be on the mound for Toronto. Redmond is 2-2 with a 4.30 ERA on the season.

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