Diamondbacks offense fizzles, winning streak ends at 6 with loss to A’s

The Arizona Diamondbacks’ run of 10 wins in 13 games has been in large part due to the offense, but that offense didn’t show up on Wednesday in a 4-1 loss to the Oakland Athletics.

The defeat ends the D-backs’ winning streak at six.

The D-backs had six hits and two walks, so there was a little bit of something there, but they couldn’t string anything together.

“I just felt like we couldn’t capitalize with the right guy in the right situation,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said.

The most threatening moment of the game was in the top of the sixth when Tim Locastro walked and Ketel Marte singled, bringing up Starling Marte with runners on first and second with no outs.

Arizona’s best offensive player this season, who entered the game hitting .361 with a .954 OPS, grounded into a double play, leading viewers to a conclusion this just might not be the D-backs’ day.

Starting pitcher Merill Kelly did well to limit the damage he did take after a 26-pitch first inning in which he gave up two runs.

A two-run homer by Oakland’s Mark Cahna in the third inning was the only real mistake by Kelly after the first. He tidied up after that to make it through five innings and avoided flaming out.

“I think he recovered well enough and that’s what good pitchers do,” Lovullo said.

Kelly’s final line was five hits and two walks allowed on four earned runs in 5.0 innings with seven strikeouts.

Nick Ahmed and Kole Calhoun both singled in the seventh with one out, but Carson Kelly struck out and pinch hitter David Peralta flew out.

The lone run came from what was just about a solo effort from Locastro and his speed. In the eighth inning, Locastro singled and then stole second. He reached third base on a flyball that most wouldn’t be able to advance on, and ditto for scoring on the sacrifice fly hit by Starling Marte.

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