Eduardo Rodriguez ends Diamondbacks’ quality starts drought in blowout win vs. Pirates
The Diamondbacks reset after a rough road trip and played their best overall game in weeks on Tuesday, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks reset after a rough road trip and played arguably their best all-around game in weeks on Tuesday, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-0 to start their homestand at Chase Field.
It was the club’s largest margin of victory this season and its second win by more than five runs.
Starter Eduardo Rodriguez gave a struggling pitching staff exactly what it needed, throwing seven shutout innings. The performance was Arizona’s first quality start (six-plus innings, three or fewer earned runs) since April 17.
Rodriguez did not allow a hit until the fifth inning, surrendering only two knocks with seven strikeouts and three walks.
Rodriguez’s season ERA dropped to 2.50, and his outing allowed the D-backs to get out to an early lead and keep it until they piled on later.
“When your starter goes out there and gives you seven-scoreless, two-hit baseball, it is exactly what we needed, exactly what we talked about,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “It looked like he was in total control. Gave our offense a chance to get some footing, we scored some early runs, and then we tacked on. And we played our baseball game. We played exactly the type of game that I expect us to play.”
The D-backs took a 2-0 lead in the opening frame after playing eight straight games without scoring in the first inning. Ketel Marte hit a triple and scored on an Adrian Del Castillo sacrifice fly for the opening run, and Ildemaro Vargas doubled home the second.
After multiple missed chances with runners on base against starter Bubba Chandler, the Diamondbacks finally made Pittsburgh pay for awarding too many free bases — Pirates pitchers walked seven batters and hit two with pitches through six innings.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. walked for a third time, and Nolan Arenado was plunked by a pitch to set the table in the sixth against reliever Yohan Ramirez.
Gabriel Moreno punched a double to right field, and Geraldo Perdomo dropped another double to right to plate two more. The D-backs ended up rallying for five runs in the inning to take their biggest lead since March 30 — Arizona led Detroit 8-0 before the Tigers rallied off Joe Ross in a 9-6 victory for the D-backs.
The D-backs tacked on two runs in the eighth to coast to a stress-free finish, a welcome sign after a 1-5 stretch on the road.
Six of Arizona’s starters drove in a run on Tuesday, seven recorded hits and all nine reached base safely.
Tuesday was also the club’s first shutout win since April 1 against Detroit.
The Diamondbacks moved back to .500 at 17-17, while the Pirates fell to 19-17.
Eduardo Rodriguez had it all working vs. Pirates
When asked what was working on Tuesday, Rodriguez said it was one of those games when everything felt right.
Rodriguez drew 15 whiffs, including nine with his fastball. The curveball, however, was the pitch he was most giddy about postgame.
“Some pitches get you to another one, that’s the way I see it. Changeup away, fastball up, cutter in. It’s just how you mix your pitches up when you get swing-and-miss,” Rodriguez said.
“I feel like today was the first day that I get so much swing-and-miss on the curveball. You guys are talking about the fastball. I’m more excited about the curveball.”
Rodriguez said he did not put any extra pressure on himself given the recent struggles of the rotation.
After a 10.10 ERA over the unit’s last 12 games, Lovullo called the five into his office to challenge them going forward.
“We all are grown men, so you never want to get — it wasn’t yelled at, but it feels like that,” Rodriguez said.
“Every time I go out there, I feel like they always need us,” he added. “For me, even if the other starters go seven (innings) each day, I want to go seven, too. That’s the way I see it, no matter the results the days before.”
Lovullo was ready to take Rodriguez out with two down in the sixth inning, but as he got to the steps of the dugout, he saw a pitcher with no interest of handing the ball off just yet.
Rodriguez had a runner on second base with diminishing velocity, but he had just struck out Jake Mangum.
“He backed me down and he said, ‘Give me one more hitter,'” Lovullo said. “And I pointed, and I told him, ‘This is your last hitter.’ So I like that.”
Rodriguez punched out Joey Bart to end his night, giving the D-backs their first start with seven shutout innings since Rodriguez blanked the Atlanta Braves on April 3.
Diamondbacks vs. Paul Skenes
The D-backs will face reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes on Wednesday night.
Skenes has faced the Diamondbacks three times, throwing 18 innings with two runs allowed and 20 strikeouts. In 34 innings this season, the two-time All-Star has a 3.18 ERA.
Michael Soroka will get the ball for Arizona.
The game will air on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app at 6:40 p.m. MST.
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