Sedona Red Recap: Controversial game-tying call voids D-backs’ comeback against Phillies

PHOENIX — It looked and felt like the Diamondbacks were at it again.

In some ways they were.

After scoring 13 runs in each of the first two outings against the Philadelphia Phillies, the top of Arizona’s batting order produced two first-inning runs, but the rest of the game wouldn’t be the same as the last two.

The D-backs lost their lead, regained it and lost it again.

They fell behind by three runs before a failed comeback attempt became a 7-6 loss that came with a bit of controversy.

Hoping to tie the game at seven runs in the eighth inning, Arizona sent Chris Owings home from third on an A.J. Pollock single. He was called out on the tag, and though the umpires took 4:07 to review the close play, camera angles didn’t appear to show whether Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp caught the D-backs baserunner before he crossed the plate.

It did show a possible second tag after Owings was well across home.

“I thought he was safe, but I guess there wasn’t enough evidence,” Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale said. “If you guys want to talk about replay, we’ll talk about replay another time. It’s obviously not a good time to talk to me about replay, so let’s leave it alone. It’s gone our way a bunch of times this year. We had plenty of opportunities to score runs.”

Indeed, they did. Arizona went 5-for-15 with runners in scoring position, leaving 10 runners on base after again lighting it up with 16 hits.

And for the record, Owings couldn’t even tell if he’d reached home safely.

“Might have got in there and more of his wrist-forearm might have got me rather than his glove,” he said. “Wish I got a little better of a jump. It was so bang-bang, it was tough to tell.”

Philadelphia recovered from an early 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead through four innings. In the bottom of the fifth, Paul Goldschmidt, who has been slumping relative to his own standards, tripled to score Ender Inciarte, and Jake Lamb then singled to score Goldschmidt as Arizona regained a lead of 4-3.

Meanwhile, D-backs pitcher Chase Anderson went five-plus innings but allowed nine hits and five earned runs while striking out five. The final two runs were part of a four-run sixth inning for Philadelphia, which turned a one-run Arizona leads into a 7-4 deficit.

The Diamondbacks would make it interesting.

Goldschmidt doubled in the seventh and on a Welington Castillo sacrifice fly tacked on a fifth run to make Arizona’s rally attempt less daunting. Owings doubled to far right field in the eighth to score lead-off man Jamie Romak before his slide at home became that of controversy.

“At some point before the season’s over, these are the types of games we will be able to overcome,” Hale said. “There’s a confidence in your team, and our guys are getting there. They knew when we fell behind with a home run we were going to come back and give it a run at it but at some point we’ll be able to overcome and get that run in there, in the eighth.”

THE GOOD

– Arizona jumped on 22-year-old right-hander Aaron Nola early. Inciarte and Pollock recorded singles to reach the corners, setting up Goldschmidt to hit an RBI single to right field. Jake Lamb hit a sacrifice RBI for the first out of the game, and Philadelphia needed a diving grab from left fielder Cody Ascheoff on a deep drive by Aaron Hill to exit the first inning without more than a 2-0 deficit.

– Goldschmidt found himself a home run away from a cycle with a 3-for-4 day at the plate and a walk. He scored two runs and added two RBI. “He’s swinging the bat better. Everybody was so concerned,” Hale said sarcastically. “We knew he’s a human being, he’s going to go through struggles. He’s feeling good, swinging at good pitches.”

THE BAD

– The Phillies recorded seven hits with no outs against Anderson — three were doubles. As a result, the D-backs starter hit 55 pitches through three innings, but after giving up a solo shot to Andres Blanco in the third, he locked into the next two frames, tossing 19 efficient pitches. But he was pulled no outs and two hits into the sixth inning, when he was replaced by reliever Keith Hessler. Of Philadelphia’s four runs scored in the sixth, two were tagged on each of Anderson and Hessler.

– After Rupp launched a three-run homer to right field for a 7-4 Phillies lead in the sixth inning, Hessler was yanked for David Hernandez. Hernandez earned one out and allowed two singles, the second of which came on a Blanco hit that Hernandez attempted to kick when it came back at him on the mound. The ball hit off Hernandez’s ankle, causing him to drop to the ground and leave the game with a left ankle contusion. Hale said Hernandez didn’t suffer any breaks and was moving well in the trainer’s room after the game.

STAT OF THE GAME

4: Arizona set a team record with its fourth consecutive game of 15 or more hits.

HE SAID IT

“This one’s on me. I mean, I felt good out there, I just wasn’t as sharp out there. You want to be consistent. I felt today I wasn’t as consistent.” – D-backs pitcher Chase Anderson on his outing

NOTED

– David Peralta, hitting .471 with 17 RBI in his last 14 games, got to rest on Wednesday, allowing for left fielder Jamie Romak to make his first start with the D-backs. Peralta pinch-hit with two outs in the ninth and singled on the first pitch he saw, but Arizona didn’t capitalize.

– During one replay review after Aaron Hill tried to beat a tag at second base, the Phillies and Hill left the field after seeing the replay on the Chase Field video board – – all before the umpire replay review ended.

– Goldschmidt’s hit in the fifth inning was his second triple of the season.

– Daniel Hudson, in 2 innings, threw just one fastball, going mostly with his slider and recording two strikeouts.

UP NEXT

A 10-game road trip begins for the Diamondbacks with a Friday matchup against the Atlanta Braves.

Arizona left-hander Robbie Ray, coming off a loss against the Cincinnati Reds, will pitch opposite of Braves right-hander Julio Teheran. Ray allowed four home runs in his last three games but before that recent stretch allowed just one in his previous seven.

After a three-game set against the Braves, the D-backs visit the Pittsburgh Pirates – – who currently own a 65-45 record that’s third-best in MLB – – for three games before a four-game series against the Reds.

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