Robbie Ray’s struggles the third time through the lineup continue Sunday

Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo could have chosen to pinch-hit for Robbie Ray when the pitcher came up to bat in the bottom of the fifth inning.

With a 2-1 D-backs lead, Ray had thrown 89 pitches and allowed four hits but walked another four. As the southpaw tries to get back to his 2017 form, Lovullo opted to see if he could hold the lead for one more inning.

“I just felt like he was good enough,” Lovullo said. “Hindsight might tell you a different story, but I just felt like he was doing OK … He did enough for me to get that opportunity.”

Ray had been doing fine. One run and eight strikeouts through five innings is a strong day, though his pitch count ran high from four walks.

But in the sixth, Ray’s third time against the middle of the Giants’ order, he gave up three straight hits and a run, then was pulled with one out.

The D-backs ended up losing 3-2. That’s not on Ray; they very well might have lost even if he came out after five.

“At that point in time, I’m not really focused on the number of times through, I’m just watching things independently,” Lovullo said.

Perhaps it’s not too early to watch that. Ray has been ineffective the third time through the lineup this year.

This season, when Ray is facing a batter for the third time in the game, the hitter’s batting average was .286 coming into the game, according to FanGraphs. That’s equal to Ray’s fourth time through the order in 2017.

His ERA the third time through the lineup sits at 11.05 after allowing the game-tying run in the sixth inning Sunday.

It’s unclear if he’s losing stamina or if batters are simply reading him better as the game goes on. After the game against the Rangers on July 30, Ray insisted he didn’t feel like stamina was an issue, though his velocity dropped as that game went on.

Lovullo said a different factor than stamina tells him when Ray is playing well.

“When Robbie’s locked in and things are clicking, when he has two strikes on you, you’re out,” Lovullo said before the game Sunday. “You’re basically out right away.”

The Giants challenged this notion on the first batter of the game.

After working his way to a 3-2 count, right fielder Andrew McCutchen fouled off three straight pitches before walking. Ray’s first batter lasted nine pitches, which could have spelled trouble.

First baseman Buster Posey, hitting second, worked an 0-2 count into a base hit.

In the second inning, second baseman Chase d’Arnaud did the same.

Ray’s opponent’s batting average through 0-2 counts entering this game was .143. While respectable, his 2017 number was an immaculate .099 – he only allowed 15 hits to a batter at that count all season.

Today, he gave up a hit on an 0-2 count and four hits to batters who had been at 0-2 counts at some point during the at-bat.

The difference in effectiveness for two-strike counts is clear throughout the board.

In 0-2, 1-2 or 2-2 counts, Ray’s opponents are hitting .167 this season. Last year, they hit .125.

Lovullo noted before the game that when a locked-in Ray gets ahead, he doesn’t need extra pitches to finish the batter.

“His ability to finish off a hitter, not throw two or three extra pitches,” Lovullo said. “I know Robbie has the stuff to do that, but pitching’s hard. Sometimes you don’t nail what you’re supposed to.”

At times, vintage Ray took the mound. Four of his eight strikeouts came on four pitches or fewer, and another two came on five pitches.

But it wasn’t always the 2017 version.

After striking out two batters on six pitches total in the third, he gave up a base hit and walked Posey after getting a 2-2 count. Ray then gave up an RBI single to Evan Longoria despite working an 0-2 count before throwing consecutive balls.

He walked one more batter before striking out left fielder Austin Slater on four pitches.

“They took some really good (at-bats) early, laying off my breaking stuff, but I was able to battle and give us a chance to win,” Ray said.

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