Diamondbacks’ offense, Merrill Kelly continue to provide more questions than answers vs. Angels

PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks have fallen back into a pattern of grinding out tight victories and suffering lopsided losses, it appears.

With a chance to clinch a second straight series win on Tuesday, Arizona’s offense looked futile against Los Angeles Angels left-hander Reid Detmers while Merrill Kelly put forth another disconcerting performance in a 7-0 loss.

Arizona’s last five wins have come with a run differential of 11. Its five most recent losses: 22. Expand that to eight losses, and it goes up to 47 runs.

It is a sign that this team is still searching for a rhythm and identity and why manager Torey Lovullo used the term “unsatisfactory” when asked to assess the season before Monday’s game, even with a slightly above .500 record (37-36 after Tuesday).

“Overall, we’ve got to be better,” Lovullo said postgame. “I’m still trying to get to the bottom of what’s making this team go on certain days and then not go on other days.”

The D-backs are still in range for a National League Wild Card spot, but they need some elevation over the .500 mark in opportunistic sections of the schedule.

This series, against a last-place team with some talent but also plenty of holes, is one of those matchups, and therefore the Diamondbacks better get their act together in the finale on Wednesday.

Frustrations for Merrill Kelly

Kelly allowed six earned runs in 5.1 innings pitched, as the Angels ripped 11 hits off of him. Kelly had not allowed that many hits in a game since August 2023, and his ERA jumped to a ghastly 5.81.

Kelly’s assessment: “I need to throw less balls down the middle,” noting his fastball and slider locations were poor.

The veteran had looked like he straightened out his early-season struggles coming off the injured list in May (3.49 ERA), but June has not looked so crisp between his Nationals and Angels starts (13 earned runs) at Chase Field.

Overall, Kelly has allowed five or more runs in five of his 12 starts this season.

“It’s not fun. I don’t enjoy getting my teeth kicked in,” Kelly said. “I’ll mix a good one in like Miami … but obviously, the one before that and then tonight are not ideal. And the start of the year wasn’t ideal. … I got to be better. It’s nobody’s fault but my own.”

When he’s right, he still looks sharp, the games have a rhythm and the D-backs generally win (4-1 in his five quality starts).

When he has been off, Kelly has looked increasingly hittable, falling behind counts and getting attacked over the plate. After allowing home runs to Zach Neto and Mike Trout, Kelly has surrendered multiple long balls in four starts this year.

The decisions to bring Kelly and Zac Gallen back to the club this past offseason brought on a sense of familiarity, that trusted hands were here to stabilize the rotation. But wins have not followed as expected, and the D-backs are 11-16 this year when their two previous mainstays have taken the mound.

Kelly said his confidence remains high. He’s earned that right during a career much better than anyone could have hoped for in 2019, but his uncharacteristic inconsistencies are a source of frustration personally and a tough hill to climb for the team.

“I know I’m a good pitcher,” Kelly said. “I feel like I’ve been doing this long enough to know that I have the ability to get outs. I’m just not doing that right now.”

Kelly received zero run support or even any extended innings, for that matter.

Detmers was dominant, and the D-backs helped him be.

In Detmers’ seven innings of work, he retired eight Diamondbacks hitters with one or two pitches. Had LuJames Groover and Jordan Lawlar not worked 10- and 11-pitch at-bats, Detmers may have thrown a complete game.

Arizona has been shut out seven times this season, already more than it had in 2025 (six) and there are three-and-a-half months of baseball left.

The D-backs won three of four games entering Tuesday and are 1.5 back of a playoff spot, to shine a little levity. But Tuesday was a thoroughly rough night for the Diamondbacks, who will have to respond quickly to avoid a disheartening series loss.

“Baseball is a team game,” Kelly said. “You got to be able to make pitches when you need it, and you got to be able to get hits when we need it. Right now, we’re struggling to put all that together. But still a long way to go. Still a lot of baseball to play.”

Series finale probables

Eduardo Rodriguez will take the mound in the rubber match for Arizona, while the Angels will start 24-year-old southpaw Sam Aldegheri.

First pitch is at 12:40 p.m. MST on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app.

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