That’s more like it: Diamondbacks clean it up to even series vs. Cardinals
The Diamondbacks played a much better all-around game on Saturday to beat the Cardinals.
Watch: Ain't No Fang: Arizona Diamondbacks are not afraid of the Los Angeles Dodgers | 35 mins
PHOENIX — Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said he did not sleep well after his club’s sloppy loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday, but Saturday’s bounce-back effort was more reminiscent of the club’s form going into the All-Star break.
Perhaps the quick turnaround worked in Arizona’s favor or Friday’s loss was a wake-up call, as the Diamondbacks jumped on the Cardinals for a 5-0 lead early in a 5-3 win at Chase Field.
Brandon Pfaadt shut out the Cardinals through his first five innings in another strong effort since he came back up from the minor leagues, and the D-backs built innings in the second, third and fourth frames against pitcher Dustin May to break the game open.
“We were still coaching up some of the things that happened last night with a quick turnaround day game,” Lovullo said. “So it was still in our clubhouse, but when the game started, our guys separated that.”
“I thought yesterday we just played really poorly,” third baseman Nolan Arenado added. “It’s great to see that we were able to do a quick turnaround and change the outcome. Yesterday hurt, and if we would have lost today, it would have hurt even worse.”
James McCann, Arenado and Ketel Marte drove in the runs, while Marte scored from third on a great read of a wild pitch that did not get too far from catcher Pedro Pages.
Marte and Gabriel Moreno both reached base three times with two hits and a walk each. Moreno has seven multi-hit efforts in his last nine games. He has reached base in 15 straight games, raising his batting average to .309. No other MLB catcher with more than 10 at-bats has an average that high.
As a team, Arizona went 3-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Several players who experienced lowlights on Friday rebounded, such as Marte, Jorge Barrosa with a terrific running catch in center field and Arenado with two hits as he nears 2,000 (1,998).
Closer Paul Sewald, who earned the loss on Saturday in a non-save situation, allowed a home run to Jimmy Crooks on Saturday but picked up his 23rd save in 24 tries.
“We had a lot of conversations with (Barrosa) today, he accepted his responsibility and then flushed it. That’s what I told him. When I’m done with you right now, that’s it. I’m putting it to bed,” Lovullo said, referring to the pickoff on Friday. “He went out there and made that great play. Ketel, everybody was trying to tap in to understand what happened last night. … He doesn’t care about yesterday. He just wants to go out there and dominate.”
Overall, Diamondbacks pitchers walked two batters after five on Friday, and the bullpen scrambled out of jams in the sixth and seventh innings.
Even though Friday’s loss was by one run and Saturday’s win was by merely two, the operation was a lot cleaner for the Diamondbacks, who can secure the season series over St. Louis with a win on Sunday.
The Diamondbacks (50-48) entered Saturday 2.5 games behind the Cardinals (51-46) and Miami Marlins for the third NL Wild Card spot. With St. Louis and Miami having both lost on Saturday, the D-backs enter Sunday 1.5 games back.
Brandon Pfaadt has been invaluable since coming back
Pfaadt ended his outing with 5.1 innings and two earned runs, as the D-backs have won all four of his starts since he came back up from Triple-A. It is a stretch in which he has pitched 21 innings with five earned runs and one measly walk.
His ERA when the Diamondbacks sent him down to stretch back out with 5.92. That has dropped by more than a full run to 4.58.
“I think it all leads to the offense getting ahead early, which is always great,” Pfaadt said. “They’ve done that for me four straight times now. I think I’ve said it the past three times, just being aggressive, going out there and pitching to my strengths. Commanding the ball, pounding the zone, I think that’s paid off for us.”
During a time when the rotation has taken on numerous injuries, Pfaadt has provided a level of stability when he has taken the mound, showing off new mechanics without his overhead motion and with a relentless attack of the strike zone.
There is such a thing as throwing too many strikes, but Pfaadt was able to mix speeds and dot corners to avoid giving up slug. The Cardinals racked up six hits off him (four in the sixth inning), each of which were singles. Four of them were not considered hard-hit balls (95 mph-plus).
As far as the pitch count climbing, Pfaadt said it is a challenge but part of the process.
“I feel good,” Pfaadt said. “It’s still a buildup, so every outing’s longer and that last inning is more and more challenging, but in a good way. I think that’s part of the buildup and part of getting to where we want to be.”
Saturday attendance
38,244
Sunday’s finale
Eduardo Rodriguez (8-3, 2.29 ERA) will make his first appearance since the All-Star Game on Sunday in the series finale against St. Louis. Rodriguez threw a 1-2-3 inning during his first career Midsummer Classic.
The Cardinals will start right-hander Andre Pallante (10-6, 3.96 ERA).
First pitch is at 1:10 p.m. MST on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app.
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Comments
10 Comments
While we have some individual successes, we are not doing that well overall. I will give Hazen a score of C- or D+ for this year team:
Starting Pitchers: Soroka (grade A) is a good free agent signing so far. The free agent signings of Kelly (grade D) and Gallen (grade F) are busts so far...these two pitcher are members of the nine worst starting pitchers in MLB. Spending $ 40 for Kelly and $22M for Gallen is a waste of money.
Bullpen: Loaisiga (grade A-), Clarke (grade A-), Sewald (grade TBD) are his free agent signings. He traded Blaze Alexander who is hitting .300 for the Orioles and we received Kade Strowd (Grade F----) who is a totally bust.
Power Hitters: Grade F...we have no power hitters as an outfielder or infielder. The free agent signing of Carlos Santana was a joke...2 hits for $2M. Should have signed Goldy,
Nolan Arenado: Arenado is a grade of B+ for fielding but a D+ for hitting.
No Trade of Marte:Grade F...While I like Marte as player and I think that he is good, but I think that he is a negative to the team. He should have been traded before he got his 10 years...a good GM could have received two solid starting players for him. I know that the Red Sox wanted him. It is about trading the players at their peak.
For example, I will trade E-Rod if a team offered two starting players and an AAA star player. Why? He is at peak value and his contract ends at the end of the 2027 season. If he continues to pitch like he has been pitching AND the Dbacks don't make the playoffs, there is no way that we could afford to resign him as a free agent. I am guessing that he will be asking for a minimum of $30M a year.
Hazen got the short end of the stick in the McCarthy trade...he is hitting .300 for the Rockies and we got a pitcher that is pitching in AA and doing poorly.
As I mentioned previously, Hazen got the short end of the stick with the Blaze Alexander trade who is hitting .300 while Kade Strowd has an ERA of 9.00 for the Dbacks before being sent down to Reno.
No one is going to be perfect with their trades and/or free agent signings...I know that but it seems we are more on the losing side than the winning side.
Why hasn't the Dbacks have put Manuel Peña, a first baseman in the Diamondbacks' farm system, on their 40-man roster? He is going to be a 5-yr draft player during the off-season. He has hit more home run in the minors than anyone. Is Hazen going to let him get away.
We recalled ADC from Reno today...I like ADC but he can't hit...he is hitting under .200...is he going to be another Pavin Smith?
Baseball is big business...the players are paid millions...you have to produce or you are traded, sent down to the minors or released. Why do the Dbacks continue to hold to players that aren't producing?
The author used one of TL's favorite nonsensical terms... building an inning, lol. The innings were built by the rules of baseball, there are nine of them, and sometimes more. Nobody builds an inning. He thinks if a a few players get on base, they are building any inning, but then a double play ends the inning, was it still a 'built' inning? Complete nonsense from a very forgettable manager.A team either scores runs, or they don't, there isn't any building go on. Torey likes talking in riddles, he thinks it makes him appear smarter than he is. His a below average manager that should have been shown the door last year.
Hazen on the other hand, did a heck of a job putting together a decent bullpen this year. I remember before the season started all the Chicken Littles here were running around with their heads cut off screaming that Hazen is stupid, etc. My hat is off to Hazen, he did a great job with the bullpen. He made a good move adding Soroka, too.
After Friday's dumpster fire, this was a nice bounce back, but they've got to seal the deal with E-Rod on the mound today . . . Let's Go Snakes!