Sedona Red Recap: Ninth time not the charm, D-backs once again fail to reach .500

Over the course of a baseball season, some odd statistics emerge. The Arizona Diamondbacks’ record when trying to get back to the .500 mark is rapidly becoming one of them.

Since manager Chip Hale’s group dropped below the .500 mark back on April 25, they’ve taken the field with a chance to get back to even on nine separate occasions. And they’re winless in all nine attempts.

Another opportunity presented itself Saturday night, but the D-backs couldn’t solve Tyson Ross and ultimately fell to the visiting San Diego Padres by a final of 8-1 in front of 33,649 at Chase Field.

Arizona starter Robbie Ray had allowed two runs or less in each of his first four starts as a D-back — tied for the third-longest such streak in club history — but he was tagged for three earned runs over 5.2 innings in his latest outing.

At the plate, the normally reliable Arizona bats simply couldn’t get anything going against Ross, who tossed a complete game while allowing just four hits and one run.

Welington Castillo drove in that lone run with an RBI double in the seventh, trimming San Diego’s lead to 4-1. But the Padres jumped all over D-backs reliever Addison Reed, piling on four more runs in the ninth to put the game out of reach.

THE GOOD

-Despite leaving Friday’s game with a left elbow contusion, Yasmany Tomas was able to pinch-hit in the bottom of the eighth.

-Ray wasn’t dominant by any means, but he kept Arizona within striking distance for awhile. The offense just wasn’t there.

THE BAD

-Clint Barmes hasn’t exactly had a monster season at the plate, but he did plenty of damage against the D-backs Saturday night. Barmes singled in Matt Kemp to give the Padres a 1-0 lead in the second, then doubled Kemp home in the sixth to put San Diego up 3-1. He later scored on a wild pitch by David Hernandez, and also doubled and scored in the ninth.

-Addison Reed entered the game in the final frame and was promptly lit up by some unlikely San Diego hitters. Following a double off the bat of Barmes, Alexi Amarista ripped a triple to drive him in. Tyson Ross — the pitcher — then crushed his first career triple to center field and would come home to score when Melvin Upton Jr. lifted the ball over the left field fence. For Upton Jr, it was his first home run of the season, raising his average to .182. Reed exited to a chorus of boos from Arizona fans.

-The Diamondbacks entered Saturday’s game with 299 total runs scored this season — good for first in the National League. Problem is, they exited Saturday’s game with 300 total runs scored.

STAT OF THE GAME

54.00: Reed’s ERA for the evening. He’s now up to 5.92 for the year.

HE SAID IT

“[Phil] Gosselin is a… gritty, tough, competitive-type infielder. Plays second, short, third… utility-type role player. Our scouting reports liken him to [Justin] Turner in Los Angeles. Not the same kind of power, but he possesses that kind of ability to hit and put the ball in the gaps.” – General Manager Dave Stewart, discussing a trade Arizona made with Atlanta on Saturday night.

NOTED

-The D-backs made that deal with the Braves during the game, sending right-handed pitchers Bronson Arroyo and Touki Toussaint to Atlanta, in exchange for infielder Phil Gosselin. Arroyo, who hasn’t appeared in a game since June 15, 2014 because of Tommy John surgery, likely won’t be ready to pitch until August. Toussaint was Arizona’s first-round pick (No. 16 overall) in the 2014 draft. Gosselin has been on the 15-day DL dealing with a thumb injury since May and is likely still four weeks away from being ready to play.

-Paul Goldschmidt drew yet another base on balls in the first, giving him an MLB-leading 55 on the season. That ties him for third (with himself, from 2014) on the club’s all-time list in terms of walks before the All-Star Break in a season.

-Saturday’s contest was game number two in a stretch of 16 consecutive meetings with NL West rivals for the D-backs.

UP NEXT

The two clubs will wrap up their three-game set at Chase Field on Father’s Day afternoon. Jeremy Hellickson will take the mound for Arizona, while San Diego counters with Andrew Cashner. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. with coverage beginning at 12:30 p.m. on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.

Hellickson (4-4) had won his previous three decisions before falling in his most recent outing to the Angels in Los Angeles on June 16. He scattered just four hits and two earned runs over six innings in that game. Sunday will mark his fourth career start against the Padres.

For San Diego, Cashner (2-8) will be making his third start against Arizona already this season. Despite sporting just a 1.38 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in those two meetings, he’s 0-2 against the Diamondbacks.

In fact, that’s essentially been the story of Cashner’s season so far. Run support has been at a premium when he’s taken the mound. Over his first ten starts, he was one of the more effective pitchers in all of baseball, yet had just two wins to show for it. He’s been knocked around lately though, yielding 22 runs (19 earned) over 22 innings in June.

Following Sunday’s contest, the D-backs will begin a six-game road trip through Colorado and San Diego.