Arizona Diamondbacks fall short Sunday, split series with Giants
Aug 5, 2018, 5:40 PM | Updated: Aug 6, 2018, 1:06 pm
Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Ketel Marte flips the ball to Nick Ahmed (13) on a ball hit by San Francisco Giants' Buster Posey in the first inning during a baseball game, Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
PHOENIX — Starting pitcher Robbie Ray had another short outing for the Arizona Diamondbacks and the team isn’t able to rally late, losing Sunday’s game to the San Francisco Giants 3-2 and splitting the four-game series.
Coming into the game, Ray was 3-0 in his last five starts against the Giants with a 1.84 ERA, a .211 opponent batting average, and 38 strikeouts. He started out slow, allowing the first two batters of the game to reach base, but his defense picked him up and limited runners on the base path who tried to advance.
When Ray was able to get ahead in the count early, he could overpower batters for strikeouts. But he ran into some issues in the third inning with getting behind in the count and again in the sixth.
“I feel like I got on a good page with my catcher John Ryan Murphy and a steady mix of fastballs,” said Ray after the game. “They took some really good ABs early, laid off my breaking stuff. But I was able to battle and give us a chance to win.”
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Ray allowed seven hits and two earned runs in 5.1 innings of work. He walked four and struck out eight in yet another no-decision.
This is Ray’s fifth no-decision in his last eight starts.
Offensively, Steven Souza Jr. can’t be stopped; he can only be contained. The six-foot-tall outfielder went yard in the second inning for his second home run and 14th RBI in his last 17 starts that gave the D-backs a temporary lead.
Ketel Marte also continues to be a factor offensively. His RBI single in the fourth inning drove in Eduardo Escobar. In his last ten home games at Chase Field, Marte is hitting .470 with eight RBI.
The relief platoon of Yoshi Hirano, Andrew Chafin, and Archie Bradley tried to keep the Giants off the board and maintain the tie, but Bradley faltered in the eighth and gave up a solo home run to Evan Longoria that put San Francisco up late.
Arizona attempted a rally with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth, but they couldn’t plate a run. The D-backs lost this one, splitting the four-game series with their NL West rival.
THE GOOD
– Souza has now hit safely in 10 of his last 12 games, hitting .355 with seven doubles, one triple, two home runs, and 13 RBI in that timespan.
– Escobar hit his 39th double of the season in the fourth inning and scored a run. His 39 doubles is first in all of MLB.
THE BAD
– Ray has only pitched 6.0+ innings in two of his last eight starts. The D-backs are 2-6 in those starts.
– Bradley, one of the D-backs’ most reliable relief pitchers in the bullpen this season, allowed the go-ahead run in the eighth inning with the game tied. Bradley had a 12-game scoreless streak against the Giants prior to giving up the earned run.
STAT OF THE GAME
27-39 – The D-backs record this season when their starting pitcher lasts less than 6.0 innings
HE SAID IT
“The thing that I always aim for is building the innings and having the right guys come up. When you get that opportunity, they’re gonna come through sometimes and sometimes they’re not. We didn’t shut down. Longoria hits the solo home run and there’s some frustration obviously because we felt like that was a game we were going to win. He’s done that a long time, and we come back to the dugout and we get back right after it and build that inning. I’m really proud of these guys.” – Torey Lovullo on the team fighting late in the game
NOTED
– The D-backs are now 9-5 in their last 14 games dating back to July 22. They are 3-3 on this current homestand.
– Arizona ranks 2nd in MLB overall in runs scored in the first two innings with 145.
– Archie Bradley leads the league in holds this season with 30 and is tied with Tony Pena for second-most in franchise history in a season, behind Brandon Lyon.
– 27,884 were in attendance with a first-pitch temperature of 78 degrees inside of Chase Field.
UP NEXT
The D-backs welcome the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies to town on Monday. Arizona has a 2-1 record against the Phillies this season.
Zack Godley (12-6, 4.46 ERA) will face off against staff ace Jake Arrieta (9-6, 3.32 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 PM with pregame coverage beginning 40 minutes earlier on 98.7 FM, Arizona’s Sports Station.
Since July 6, Godley is 3-0 with a 2.64 ERA and 38 strikeouts in his last five starts. This will be his third career appearance against the Phillies. He is 0-0 with a 1.35 ERA.
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