D-backs come up short in late-game rally as they fall to St. Louis in extras
May 27, 2021, 11:58 PM | Updated: May 28, 2021, 7:24 am
(Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks rallied late against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night, however it wasn’t enough as the team dropped their 11th straight game in extra innings by a score of 5-4.
“The group is still staying positive,” manager Torey Lovullo said postgame. “The group is still engaging and in their process and engaging in the game and their responsibility.
“But there’s certain times where we have a chance to do it and break the game open and we just haven’t been able to get that big hit at the right time.”
Pitcher Matt Peacock got scratched before Thursday’s contest due to illness, which led Lovullo to give Jon Duplantier the starting nod.
It was Duplantier’s 2021 debut and he struggled early.
It all started in the second inning, as Cardinals left fielder Tyler O’Neill hit a two-run homer off of Duplantier to give St. Louis an early 2-0 advantage.
Former D-backs first baseman Paul Goldschmidt then stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and forced a walk to tack on another run for St. Louis, making it 3-0.
However, the 26-year-old Duplantier found some rhythm later on and settled down in the third and fourth innings as he retired the sides consecutively.
“He threw some pretty good pitches,” catcher Stephen Vogt said. “Both of his breaking balls were pretty good tonight. He located his fastball pretty well, for the most part. Obviously left a couple pitches out over the middle and a couple walks. But it’s one of my first times ever really catching [Duplantier] and it’s a lot of fun.”
Duplantier then found himself in some trouble again in the fifth inning as Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado hit an RBI double, which drove in Goldschmidt and extended the Cardinals lead to 4-0.
Catcher Yadier Molina later singled, and when shortstop Edmundo Sosa was hit by a pitch, Lovullo took Duplantier out of the game.
In 4.2 innings of work, Duplantier allowed four earned runs and struck out five batters on 86 pitches.
On the offensive side, the D-backs were silent to begin the game, getting no-hit by Cardinals starting pitcher Carlos Martinez through six innings of work.
Then the seventh inning started and everything changed for Arizona.
Ketel Marte led off the inning with a single and the D-backs’ rally started as they collected five straight hits in the inning.
Martinez would exit the game in the middle of the inning as Génesis Cabrera would come in to relief pitch.
The D-backs went on to score three runs in the seventh and trailed St. Louis by just one run.
That momentum carried over to the eighth inning for Arizona to tie up the game thanks in part to a Pavin Smith RBI double that drove in Marte.
Smith went 2-for-4 against St. Louis and drove in three runs for Arizona.
“I definitely believed that we were going to come through there,” Smith said. “So it is kind of deflating when you don’t you know get that W but again, you got to come back the next day.”
The score stayed the same after Smith tied it at four apiece, which forced extra innings at Chase Field.
The crowd was into it on Thursday night and the fans at Chase Field believed the D-backs could get the victory in extras.
But at the top of the tenth inning, Molina hit a double to drive in Goldschmidt and give St. Louis the lead.
The score held and the Cardinals came out with the win.
“We feel like we’ve had moments throughout this entire stretch where every night we feel like this is it we’re breaking out this is where it’s gonna happen,” Vogt said of the recent struggles for Arizona. “And then something one thing leads to another.”
Lovullo went on to say that he admires the fight that his squad has put up during this tough stretch.
“This team is fighting and believing that tomorrow is gonna be the next best day and we’re gonna win a baseball game tomorrow.”
Arizona will look to bounce back against the Cardinals on Friday at 6:40 p.m. at Chase Field. Tune to 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station for all the action.