Royals crush Eduardo Rodriguez, Diamondbacks on 4th of July

PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks had been receiving better production from their starting rotation of late, but that did not materialize in a 9-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals on the Fourth of July.

Eduardo Rodriguez had a rough night on Friday, and it started early. The Royals took a 3-0 lead three batters into the game, as Vinnie Pasquantino hit his first of two home runs off Rodriguez.

Rodriguez allowed nine runs (eight earned) on 12 hits through 4.1 innings pitched, a real stinker after he had been trending positively. The veteran entered Friday with a 1.98 ERA in five starts coming off the injured list last month.

The Diamondbacks’ offense initially fought back with two runs in the first inning off Royals southpaw starter Kris Bubic, but they just kept facing a steeper and steeper climb. They trailed 6-2 in the second inning and 8-2 in the third.

Arizona has given up multiple runs in the first inning in three straight games, all losses.

“I think we’ve been playing uphill baseball,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “It’s a hard thing when you give up runs early in the game. Takes a little bit of energy, takes a little bit of a focus away and I can put it on our pitchers because I believe in them. I believe they’re good enough to go out there and put up zeros early and let us get some footing.”

Rodriguez’s command did not appear to be tight, as most of Kansas City’s hits off him were on fastballs down the middle. He managed seven strikeouts and 13 whiffs, but six runs scored on three home runs. Mark Canha also went yard, while Bobby Witt Jr. finished with three singles.

Rodriguez said it was one of those days where he had “nothing on the ball.”

“My location was really bad today,” Rodriguez said, describing the three home runs. “I tried to go fastball down-and-away and I missed over the middle. Tried to go fastball up-and-in and I missed middle-up. I tried to go sinker to Canha and I missed it over the middle of the plate, so those are the three home runs right there. Most of the hits were just pitches on the middle of the plate, and they took advantage of it the whole day.”

After his performance on Friday, Rodriguez’s season-long ERA increased to 5.78. The Royals coming into Friday had scored the fewest runs in Major League Baseball with 3.3 per game.

Over the previous 10 games, Arizona starters had worked a much-improved 3.45 ERA, although the team’s run prevention issue has persisted. The Diamondbacks have allowed six or more runs in seven of their last nine games played.

They have allowed at least nine runs 15 times this season and are 2-13 in those games. Only the Athletics and Colorado Rockies have given up nine or more runs more frequently.

Bubic, meanwhile, tossed seven innings with three earned runs on seven hits for a quality start.

Eugenio Suarez hit a solo home run in the fifth inning, his 28th long ball of the season. In the last calendar year, Suarez has blasted 52 home runs, second to Shohei Ohtani in the National League during that span.

ARI – Eugenio Suárez Solo HR (28)

📏 Distance: 376 ft
💨 EV: 96.8 mph
📐 LA: 35°
⚾️ 83.1 mph sweeper (KC – LHP Kris Bubic)
🏟️ Would be out in 29/30 MLB parks

KC (9) @ ARI (3)
🔻 6th#Dbacks pic.twitter.com/aLX5VvAlts

— MLB Home Runs🚀 (@MLBHRs_) July 5, 2025

Geraldo Perdomo, meanwhile, reached base four times with two singles and two walks.

The Diamondbacks as a team have had more trouble with left-handed pitchers (.710 OPS) than righties (league-leading .802 OPS) all year, and they just missed some opportunities on Friday (1-for-8 with runners in scoring position).

“I thought we had some decent at-bats, but we never built an inning,” Lovullo said. “I feel like this team is capable offensively of going out and putting up eight to 10 runs on any pitcher at any given time.”

The D-backs fell to 43-45, dropping to 4.5 games back of the third NL Wild Card spot.

Diamondbacks’ next game

The Diamondbacks will look to snap a three-game losing streak on Saturday at 1:10 p.m. MST.

Ryne Nelson will look to be the stopper as he was on Monday against the San Francisco Giants (6.2 IP, 2 ER). Kansas City (42-47) will turn to veteran right-hander Michael Wacha (3.62 ERA).

Catch the game on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app. 

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