Corbin Carroll on season in balance: Diamondbacks need urgency without pressing

PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks know that the balance of their season comes down to the next few weeks before the trade deadline, as the club continues to teeter between .500 and one game above or below the mediocrity line.

It is a reason why Sunday’s loss to the Milwaukee Brewers was so frustrating, a winnable game against a great team that slipped away.

Missed opportunities to tack onto an early lead and a series of hard-hit outs late in the game resulted in a 3-2 loss and another series defeat to a team above .500.

Ketel Marte crushed a ball 116.8 mph off the bat for an out in the seventh inning, and Pavin Smith’s 107 mph liner with a runner on second base in the eighth resulted in a lineout double play.

The D-backs (44-45) continue to mirror an eerily similar record from last season, and this is the part of the calendar that determines whether teams buy or sell at the trade deadline.

“I think kind of scuffling would be the word I would use,” Corbin Carroll said. “We’re not playing the way that we need to play if we want to be in a position where we’re going to do something with this season.

“I think that’s reflected in a number of ways. … I think it’s frustrating for everyone in here because we know there’s a lot more than that in this room and we just need to play better. And it starts with me. I need to play better.”

Carroll referred to the club’s 13-3 record against the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies when making the case that the performance as a whole has not been up to standard. Arizona is 13-21 since their 13 straight games against those teams, even with another series against San Francisco.

Without consistent offense or starting pitching outside Eduardo Rodriguez, who was great yet again on Sunday but got tagged with an undeserving loss, Arizona has struggled to stack wins. It has not won more than two games in a row since its last contest in San Francisco back on May 27.

Losing a rubber match with an All-Star on the mound, especially one who threw six innings with two runs allowed, is a tough pill.

The team went through struggles going into the break and coming out of it last year, so what can be learned from that experience?

“I think it’s the balance of moving with urgency, but at the same time, not trying to force it,” Carroll said. “I think when you’re in that space in this game, it’s a bad one to be in. I would say that’s the balance I feel like we’ve got to juggle right now. … We really, especially coming out of the break, we really pressed that week after (last season).”

The D-backs went into the trade deadline last summer on a five-game losing streak.

The opportunity present is that the club is not buried despite the struggles and injuries, considering the D-backs are four games back with three teams to leap for the third National League Wild Card spot. But they cannot afford to slip any further in terms of games back or teams to leapfrog, which is why this upcoming week is so important.

The Diamondbacks have a four-game series against the San Diego Padres starting on Monday, another team that expected to contend but is struggling to get back into the mix. San Diego is also dealing with various injuries and entered Sunday on an eight-game losing streak. The D-backs will close the first half with three games at Dodger Stadium.

“We gotta get going. It’s time right now,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “We gotta start playing some good baseball, very consistent baseball. … The Padres and us are very similar with our records. … I think there’s a lot of frustration. So everybody’s fighting that frustration right now, but we gotta cycle through it and wake up tomorrow morning in San Diego and be ready to play a baseball game.”

“We just have to keep winning games, that’s it,” Rodriguez said. “We’ll see after that, but for now, we just have to keep winning series and games, that’s it.”

Eduardo Rodriguez stellar until 7th

Rodriguez retired nine hitters in a row at one point, he allowed only three hits through the first six frames and looked to be in total command.

The D-backs ran him back out for the seventh inning with 93 pitches as the bullpen has been taxed over the past two games.

Andrew Vaughn singled, and Jake Bauers punished Rodriguez for hanging a curveball with a two-run blast to end his outing.

Lovullo said that with two lefties coming up, Rodriguez earned the chance to attack three more batters. His ERA went up to 2.25. Kevin Ginkel allowed a third run to score, which ultimately was the difference.

Bauers’ home run was far from the reason the D-backs lost the game, as going into the later innings with a one-run lead against the NL Central leaders was playing with fire.

The D-backs had to put up more runs early, as they left runners in scoring position in each of the first four innings. The hard-hit outs piled up later, but early missed chances were simply execution failures, including chasing pitches and key strikeouts that left runners in their place.

Brewers starter Brandon Sproat threw 92 pitches in four innings with three walks and only allowed one run, an RBI double from Carroll in the first inning.

Lovullo was frustrated with a first-pitch bounce out from Ildemaro Vargas to end the first inning after Sproat had been grinding to get through long at-bats.

The Smith double play at the end of the game will be the lasting image from this one, and Lovullo said Vargas needed to get back to second base on the line drive to avoid getting doubled up. The hard line drives ultimately did not make up for the execution miscues throughout the lineup, even on a day when everyone reached base at least once.

Corbin Carroll says he needs to play better

On the box score, Carroll had a nice day. After the RBI double, he worked a walk that loaded the bases with one out in the seventh. Arizona scored its second run on a Gabriel Moreno fielder’s choice.

Carroll admitted after the loss that there have been shortcomings in his game that need to be fixed as he fights through a funk. He entered Sunday hitting .170 over his previous 13 games.

“I would say I know there’s impact versus right-handed pitchers that I know in my mind is me,” Carroll said. “That’s me and I need to get back to that.”

Carroll has opened eyes with how well he has hit left-handers this season (1.056 OPS), but his numbers against righties has fallen off (.768 OPS).

High fastballs have also given him trouble lately, which is not completely new, but he has shown a tendency to chase above the zone.

Carroll is the team’s All-Star in the lineup and having one of the most prolific seasons in the league with his speed and power. At the same time, the D-backs are heavily reliant on the top of the order of Marte, Geraldo Perdomo, Carroll and Moreno with so much flux behind them, making it difficult to score when that group is not firing together.

Sunday attendance

24,728

Off to San Diego

Brandon Pfaadt, Zac Gallen, Jose Cabrera and Merrill Kelly are lined up to pitch at Petco Park, in order.

San Diego right-hander Walker Buehler is probable for the opener.

The D-backs and Padres have played two games against each other this season, which they split in Mexico City.

First pitch on Monday is at 6:40 p.m. MST on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app. 

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