Switch to bullpen game bites D-backs in loss vs. Dodgers

The Arizona Diamondbacks had planned to roll out a bullpen game either Thursday against the Los Angeles Dodgers or Friday at the San Diego Padres, a necessity after going to a four-man rotation for the final 10 games of the regular season.

After a loss to Los Angeles on Wednesday, D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said the team had made its call: Jalen Beeks would act as opener with Nabil Crismatt getting the bulk of innings to help rest starters Zac Gallen and Eduardo Rodriguez.

“We’ll read and react to what’s going on,” Lovullo told reporters before the series finale Thursday. “There’s no script. We’re just going to fly by the seat of our pants, which is what we’ve been doing for the past eight weeks and see where it takes us. Zac could use the extra day of rest, that was a big piece of the puzzle. Same with E-Rod.

“We just thought today would be the best opportunity for us win a baseball game to be able to match up with the guys we have against their team.”

It only took two innings for that decision to look like a mistake in a 8-0 loss against the Dodgers on Thursday.

The Dodgers in the top of the second frame put up four runs — one against Beeks and three against Crismatt — putting the Diamondbacks in a hole.

Beeks gave up a home run to fellow lefty Freddie Freeman before Andy Pages, a righty, hit a two-run shot off Crismatt. Mookie Betts tallied an RBI single for another run in the second.

Los Angeles added four more runs in the fourth to go ahead 8-0 off a Shohei Ohtani two-run home run and a second by Freeman.

Arizona was then working from behind against Los Angeles starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

At the plate, Arizona has seen plenty of Yamamoto this season.

Over three starts and 19.0 innings, he’s held the D-backs to a .164 batting average, six earned runs and 11 hits. He’s struck out 23 Arizona batters and walked just three this season.

The Dodgers have gone 2-1 in those games, with five of the runs allowed and both home runs coming in his first start against the D-backs back on May 8.

Since, Yamamoto allowed a single hit over 7.0 innings on May 20 and most recently on Aug. 31 allowed one earned run and four hits in another 7.0 frames.

Related

How Diamondbacks’ 2025 trade deadline played out 1 year laterDiamondbacks have more options to handle closer-by-committee than in the recent pastDiamondbacks president: ‘I would be surprised’ if we don’t make tradesDiamondbacks will not make a trade that leads to luxury tax penaltiesDiamondbacks going back to closer-by-matchupsDiamondbacks lean on brilliant Eduardo Rodriguez effort to win key series over Pirates