Dose of Venom: D-backs drop series to Giants despite Chafin’s strong effort

PHOENIX— After being swept last week in San Francisco, the Arizona Diamondbacks dropped another series to their NL West rival Wednesday afternoon to the Giants 4-2.

Left-hander Andrew Chafin made his Chase Field debut and his second start of the season after going 2-0 (15.0 IP, 0.00 ERA) in the Pacific Coast League playoffs.

Chafin made his major league debut back on Aug. 3 against the Cleveland Indians. There, he tossed five scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and today would not be that much different.

Chafin started the game with a 1-2-3 inning. The D-backs would threaten early with back-to-back singles from Ender Inciarte and Chris Owings. Then, with runners at second and third, a wild pitch from Giants’ starter Madison Bumgarner gave Inciarte a pathway home. He broke for home plate, misjudged the wild pitch as it caromed off the backstop straight to Giants’ catcher Andrew Susac who placed a tag for the out.

The Giants would get the first run of the game in the top of the second inning with an RBI double by Brandon Crawford.

But the D-backs would counter back with a run of their own in the bottom half of the frame. After a walk to Cody Ross and a single by Tuffy Gosewisch, D-backs starter Chafin stepped up with his first major league hit and RBI to tie the game 1-1.

“It was definitely exciting,” said the D-backs pitcher. “It’s nice to be able to contribute to the offense.”

Both the D-backs and the Giants would go through two shutout innings up until the fifth when Crawford started things off with a single down the third base line. He would eventually reach home with a walk and back-to-back sacrifice bunts putting San Francisco in front 2-1.

“I think I was trying too hard to be too fine and precise with things,” said Chafin. “I just went back to going out there and throwing it, trusting things and that help a bit.”

The D-backs stayed in the game as they would again respond back with a run of their own in the bottom of the fifth. A.J. Pollock hit a triple out to right center over the head of center fielder Juan Perez and later scored on a throw to first base after a dropped third strike. The throw home by Giants first basemen Buster Posey was late, with Pollock sliding home to tie the game.

“Yeah it was a good play,” said D-backs manger Kirk Gibson. “When Trumbo struck out and he ran they made the throw and that’s why you tell your guys to hustle, to never give in and run the ball out.”

The ninth inning would prove to be problematic for the D-backs when Addison Reed entered in the game. Reed has had an up-and-down season for the club but has managed to save 31 games in the season.

He allowed a leadoff walk to Pablo Sandavol to begin the inning. An out later, he allowed a single and another walk to load the bases. That’s when Giants manager Bruce Bochy went to his bench, sending right-handed batter Matt Duffy to the plate.

Duffy ripped a pinch-hit single to left-center field to drive in two runs to give the Giants a 4-2 lead, which they’d hold in the bottom half for their eighth consecutive series win over the D-backs at Chase Field, dating back to April of 2012.

The Good:

Pollock went 2-for-5 in Wednesday’s game and is now hitting .371 and is 26-for-70 with eight doubles, three triples and 12 RBI in his last 19 games.

Pollock’s triple in the fifth gave the D-backs their 46th triple of the season, which are the most since 2009.

The Bad:

The last time the Giants won eight or more consecutive series at an opponent’s ballpark came in 1932-35 against the Cincinnati Reds (Redland Field/Crosley Field), when they played as the New York Giants.

Trumbo was taken out of the game due to back stiffness.

Noted:

· In the top of the sixth, Giants manager Bruce Bochy asked for a review of a first that was initially stated that runner Hunter Pence was out after grounding into a double play. The review took 2 minutes and 16 seconds for homeplate umpire Lance Barrett to confirm the out.

· Earlier today, D-backs first baseman Paul Goldschmidt was announced as the club’s nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award. This distinction is given to a major leaguer who best represents the game through positive contributions on and off the field.

Stat of the Game:

5: The number of series the Giants won versus the D-backs this season.

He Said It:

“He just didn’t have it today.” -Gibson on Reed’s ninth inning

Up Next:

The D-backs begin their final road trip of the season as they head to Denver to take on the Colorado Rockies in a four-game series.

Vidal Nuno (0-6, 3.68) is coming off a rough start in his last outing and is still looking for his first win in a D-backs uniform. His last win came as a Yankee, back on June 27.

Opposing him is rookie left-hander is Yohan Flande (0-5, 5.04) who is replacing Franklin Morales in the Rockies’ rotation. Flande is making his ninth career start and his first against the D-backs.

First pitch is scheduled at 6:40 with pregame coverage beginning 30 minutes earlier on ESPN Phoenix 620.