Diamondbacks bullpen game disaster may cost them a playoff spot … again

SAN DIEGO — There was good news and bad news for the Arizona Diamondbacks’ postseason aspirations on Saturday.

The good news: The Philadelphia Phillies got crushed by the Tampa Bay Rays, 12-1. That guaranteed the D-backs would enter the final day of the regular season on Sunday with a chance to make the playoffs.

The bad news: Arizona failed to take care of business in San Diego, losing 10-7. The D-backs rallied for three runs in the ninth inning off Padres closer Mason Miller, but Miller struck out Ildemaro Vargas to end the game with two men on.

The D-backs snapped a six-game winning streak by losing a bullpen game that involved perplexing twists, turns and decisions from a team fighting tooth-and-nail to get to the postseason.

In order to make the playoffs, the D-backs will need to win on Sunday AND the Phillies have to lose.

On one hand, Arizona going 8-0 to end the season was a worthwhile but ambitious goal. The Padres winning on Saturday also guaranteed them home-field advantage in the Wild Card Series, and they will have nothing to play for Sunday.

On the other, how the Diamondbacks lost on Saturday is difficult to swallow or understand. The blown opportunity forces the D-backs to root for the Rays to sweep the Phillies, with three-time All-Star pitcher Zack Wheeler getting the ball for Philadelphia.

Had the Diamondbacks (86-75) won, they would have passed the Phillies (87-74) in the standings via tiebreaker and “controlled their own destiny” on the final day of the season.

A bullpen game fiasco cost the D-backs dearly late last season against the Los Angeles Dodgers, contributing to Arizona’s eventual elimination. History may have repeated itself unless Arizona gets some help.

The Diamondbacks were not planning to go with a bullpen game until they placed Corbin Burnes on the injured list on Friday. Arizona’s bullpen has been a strength all season, and the club won a bullpen game against the Phillies 1-0 earlier this month.

To sum up Saturday’s disaster, it was not Arizona’s most trusted relievers who faltered. Not all of them even pitched.

And the Padres tee’d off on Arizona’s more vulnerable arms.

Diamondbacks’ odd order of operations in bullpen game

The Padres scored five runs off rookie Jose Cabrera, who came up from the minor leagues to replace Burnes, in the fourth and fifth innings. Juan Morillo, Brandyn Garcia and Justin Martinez were all still in the bullpen at the time.

Morillo eventually entered the game to clean up the fifth inning, but he only recorded two outs before the D-backs turned to Dennis Santana, who allowed two more runs.

Martinez pitched the eighth inning, and Garcia never entered the game.

What also stood out about the bullpen management this weekend started a day before, when Ryne Nelson and Zac Gallen pitched late in a blowout win over the Padres on Friday. Manager Torey Lovullo said their availability was to be determined during his postgame media session on Friday.

Nelson and Gallen did not pitch on Saturday. The plans may have changed when the score became lopsided, but the situation begs questioning whether decisions made in an 11-4 win hampered Arizona’s ability to get through a bullpen game the next day.

Dropped fly balls did not help

The first four innings of this game were a seesaw:

• Padres lead 1-0
• D-backs lead 2-1
• Padres lead 3-2
• D-backs lead 4-3
• Padres lead 6-4

The third inning was brutal for the Diamondbacks, as two misplayed balls in the outfield brought home two Padres runs.

Right fielder Corbin Carroll missed a line drive, potentially losing the ball in the lights. Center fielder Tim Tawa definitely lost sight of the ball, as a high pop-up dropped with two outs to plate the go-ahead run.

Both fly balls were deemed hits since they did not touch a glove, but the defense let a pitching staff going through the trials of a bullpen game down.

The Diamondbacks responded, however, taking the lead back on a James McCann two-run home run in the fourth inning. Putting up four runs in four innings at that point and chasing Padres starter Walker Buehler was a promising spot to be in.

At that point, Cabrera entered the game and everything changed. Cabrera entered Saturday with seven games of MLB experience and shaky command in his previous appearances.

And the D-backs brought him in to face the top of the order.

Manny Machado was the one who delivered the blow, hitting a three-run home run.

The D-backs stuck with Cabrera to start the fifth inning, as well, and two more Padres runs broke the game open.

More details to come postgame on the decisions that led to Saturday’s loss.

Related

Near flawless second half from Arizona defense helps Wildcats rally to beat Washington StatePhillies lose 4th straight, Diamondbacks stay alive in NL Wild Card raceHistory watch: Diamondbacks’ Gabriel Moreno bearing down on batting titleDiamondbacks start Taylor Clarke in must-win bullpen game, Gabriel Moreno will DH‘Just keep going’: Kendrick Bourne stands by Marvin Harrison Jr. during scrutinyDiamondbacks recall Adrian Del Castillo amid Gabriel Moreno’s hamstring issue