Diamondbacks' funk continues with loss to Blue Jays
TORONTO — The Diamondbacks’ Jake McCarthy had just shuffled his feet toward second base when Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Nate Pearson spun off the mound and picked to first. McCarthy, leaning the wrong way, was toast, erased from first base in the seventh inning of an eventual 5-2 loss.
It was a play manager Torey Lovullo likes to call “uncharacteristic." It was also one which epitomizes the kind of baseball the Diamondbacks have been playing of late, particularly over the past two days here at Rogers Centre.
The Diamondbacks have made as many miscues in two days here at Rogers Centre as they typically would make in a week. They have made four outs on the bases and have committed four errors in the field, not to mention other mistakes that do not show up box scores.
Their offense has gone quiet and their pitching has been unable to pick up the slack.
In other words, the Diamondbacks are in a funk.
“I think when you’re looking at the full body of work over the past two days everything seems to be compounding itself,” Lovullo said.
He is not wrong about that, but the struggles stretch back longer.
The loss was the Diamondbacks’ seventh in their past nine games and 11th in their past 17. Once again they dropped a series against a contending team, something they have done with regularity over the past six weeks. They fell to 22-25 against teams that entered Saturday with a .500 record or better.
“It’s always frustrating when you lose,” McCarthy said. “Everything could be a little bit better right now. We’ll just come back tomorrow and try to improve.”
Earlier in the day, the Diamondbacks caught what looked like a break when it was announced that Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman, who is one of the better pitchers in baseball, had been scratched due to left side discomfort. With their ace, right-hander Zac Gallen, on the mound, the Diamondbacks’ chances looked good.
But Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt had little trouble stepping in, giving up just two runs in six innings. And Gallen’s outing was strange on a couple of fronts, not the least of which being his struggles putting hitters away with two strikes.
On his second pitch of the game, the PitchCom device that is used to relay pitch selection to the catcher came flying off Gallen’s glove. He reattached it only to have it fly off again later in the inning.
Over and over it kept flinging off his glove, to the point that the Blue Jays’ Whit Merrifield appeared to yell across the field at Gallen after he singled to lead off the second. Eventually, Blue Jays manager John Schneider came out and asked to get the device under control.
Gallen had the transmitter connected to his glove with Velcro, but he said the tape wasn’t adhering to his glove, likely because of sweat.
“Obviously, it’s not like I’m trying to do it on purpose,” he said. “I don’t want it to affect my rhythm.”
Schneider emerged from the Blue Jays’ dugout to address that situation at a time when the Blue Jays had the bases loaded and a 2-2 count on George Springer. After a lengthy delay, Gallen spun a curveball that Springer knocked into left for a two-run single, giving the Blue Jays a 2-0 lead.
After the Diamondbacks tied it in the top of the fourth, the Jays reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the inning when Merrifield hit a another two-strike pitch, this time a change-up, off the top of the wall and over for a solo homer.
“I felt like I was making decent pitches and they were fouling them off,” Gallen said, “and they were just waiting me out to get pitches they could handle. That’s a good team and a good lineup. That’s what good teams and good lineups do.”
The Diamondbacks managed 10 hits — nine singles and one double. They scored two runs or less for the eighth time in the past 13 games, a stretch in which they are hitting just .215.
“That’s not who we are,” Lovullo said. “It’s not just that. It’s about executing on the bases. It’s about executing on the mound. It’s a few things. Better than yesterday but we’ve got to still work.”
The Diamondbacks managed to get the leadoff runner aboard in four of the final five innings on Saturday but could not get any of them home. That included the seventh, the inning in which McCarthy was picked off.
Lovullo said McCarthy was looking at the wrong “cues” from the pitcher; McCarthy said it was more about the timing of his step.
“Normally if you do a little jab you can have time to get back, but it was kind of the perfect timing where I was in the air and — I wasn’t committed, but I was gaining momentum going to second and that’s when he picked,” he said. “I was just kind of stuck.”
It was, at the time, a one-run game, but the Blue Jays added a pair of runs off reliever Scott McGough in the eighth to pull ahead.
“We need to slow the game down,” Lovullo said, “and execute at the most critical time, and understand what the situation is asking for and have quality at-bats and make quality pitches.”
Saturday's Diamondbacks-Blue Jays pitching matchup
Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (11-3, 3.04) vs. Blue Jays RHP Chris Bassitt (8-5, 4.19).
Gallen is fresh off his start for the National League in the All-Star Game on Tuesday, when he fired a scoreless first inning. … Prior to that, he threw seven innings of one-run ball against the Pirates in his final start before the break. … He has a 2.91 ERA over his past five starts, with four walks and 32 strikeouts in 34 innings. … Gallen has never faced the Blue Jays. … This will be Bassitt's 20th start this season for the Blue Jays, who he joined this offseason as a free agent. He has allowed 18 home runs, tied for fifth most in baseball. ... Pitching last year for the Mets, Bassitt faced the Diamondbacks once, allowing one run and two hits in six innings in a 10-3 win April 15.
Coming up
Sunday: At Toronto, 10:37 a.m., Diamondbacks LHP Tommy Henry (5-1, 3.75) vs. Blue Jays LHP Yusei Kikuchi (7-3, 4.24).
Monday: Off.
Tuesday: At Atlanta, 4:20 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zach Davies (1-5, 6.37) vs. Braves RHP Bryce Elder (7-2, 2.97).
Wednesday: At Atlanta, 4:20 p.m., Diamondbacks TBA vs. Braves RHP Michael Soroka (1-1, 5.31).
What to know about the Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays have spent nearly the entire season over the .500 mark and positioned to grab a playoff spot, but they have dealt with a number of inconsistencies that have kept them from truly taking off. RHP Alek Manoah had a nightmare first half, but after getting optioned to the minors for a month, he might have gotten himself back on track last week vs. the Tigers. 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is having a solid year, hitting .277/.344/.443, but for a player who has contended for MVP awards the Blue Jays likely are hoping for more. SS Bo Bichette is having another strong offensive season, hitting .317/.346/.496 with 15 homers. RHP Kevin Gausman has thrown well, logging a 3.03 ERA with 153 strikeouts in 115 2/3 innings.
Early Diamondbacks-Blue Jays reading
Meltdown in Toronto: Diamondbacks start second half on sour note; Varsho reflects on trade
Familiar faces: Diamondbacks face Blue Jays for first time since December blockbuster trade
Second-half lookahead: Questions facing Diamondbacks as they try to build on first-half success
2024 schedule released: Diamondbacks will host Yankees, Angels
Greg Moore: Corbin Carroll's first All-Star appearance is a reminder to stay in the moment
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diamondbacks' funk continues with loss to Blue Jays
