Diamondbacks left trying to figure out what went wrong against A's
The Arizona Diamondbacks are starting a three-city road trip in Oakland this week, with Game 2 set for 6:40 p.m. on Tuesday. The game can be seen on Bally Sports Arizona. Follow this page for updates before, during and after this game.
OAKLAND, Calif. — In a 162-game season, there are losses. Then there are losses like Tuesday’s. Losses that leave the Diamondbacks sitting in the clubhouse, three or four to a table, finishing off postgame plates of noodles and muttering to one another in hushed tones, trying to figure out just where it all went wrong.
A good place to start would be the bottom of the seventh. When Kevin Ginkel toed the rubber to face Brent Rooker, the Diamondbacks’ win probability sat at 96%. Up 8-4, they were in cruise control, rolling to a fifth straight win. Instead, they lost, 9-8, in 12 innings.
It started innocuously, with singles from Rooker and Aledmys Díaz. Nothing too concerning. Then came a two-hopper to third base. Evan Longoria got to the ball, but it took an awkward in-between bounce, forcing him to make a play at a slightly uncomfortable height. He couldn’t, spilling the ball into foul territory and keeping the inning alive.
“The little hands plays are tough,” Manager Torey Lovullo said. “… You've gotta be creative with your hands and your feet and try to make the play. And unfortunately, he couldn't get it done.”
At the time, the play continued a miserable night for Longoria, giving him an error to add to four strikeouts. But it was just that. A rough individual play in an easy win.
Quickly, it became more than that: the key turning point. Kyle Nelson relieved Ginkel after the error and, on his second pitch, left a slider up to Ryan Noda, who tied the game with a grand slam to center field.
The Diamondbacks didn’t leave their questionable defense there, either. In the 10th, Josh Rojas — in for Longoria — let a popped up bunt drop on the third base line, attempting to turn it into a double play instead of taking the easy out. Problem is, the ball was spinning foul. By the time Rojas snatched it on a hop, it was comfortably in foul territory. A batter later, Rojas made another mistake uncharacteristic to his heretofore excellent defensive season, losing his handle on the transfer of what should have been an easy, inning-ending double play.
Neither play ended up costing the Diamondbacks, but they underscored a night in which the club failed to do many of the things that it has done so well in its 24-19 start. Their infield defense has been worth the second-most outs above average in baseball. On Tuesday, it was unfocused and sloppy.
“We don't play the type of baseball that we did today,” Lovullo said. “We usually are very good at doing the little things and we'll figure that out.”
Another one of those little things is moving runners over. The Diamondbacks make productive outs at the highest rate in the National League. As a result, they’re the best team in baseball at scoring runners from second base with less than two outs, doing so 61.8% of the time. At that rate, the odds of them not scoring the ghost runner in three extra innings are one in 20.
That’s what happened Tuesday, in large part because none of their leadoffs hitters moved the runner over. In the 10th, Ketel Marte struck out looking on a curveball that appeared to miss the bottom of the zone. In the 11th, Christian Walker chased a fastball inside and rolled one back to the pitcher. In the 12th, Gabriel Moreno bounced the first pitch to third for an easy out.
Lovullo took the most issue with the last of those three at-bats.
“I just like to see guys be a little bit more patient, let the ball get deeper in the zone, make some attempts at the ball to the opposite field,” Lovullo said. “I think Walker did and I know Ketel tried to bunt. We just didn't execute. That's the name of the game, that's the bottom line. We just didn't do it. A couple guys tried and one didn't and we'll take care of that.”
All three leadoff at-bats proved costly. In the 10th and 11th innings, the second Diamondbacks’ batter flied out to the outfield, likely deep enough to score a runner from third. In the 12th, Dominic Fletcher hit a grounder to second, an awkward play that also could have scored the ghost runner had he been at third.
For two extra innings, Scott McGough was up to the task, rescuing the Diamondbacks’ offense. In the 12th, charged with throwing 23 more pitches than he had in a game this year, McGough’s Houdini act came to an end. He loaded the bases with one out then allowed a ball scorched 103.5 mph at Nick Ahmed.
The play did not fall under the same category of defensive miscue as Longoria’s and Rojas’. It did, though, put a cap on a frustrating night for the Diamondbacks.
“We put a lot of pressure on our bullpen today with the offense,” Lovullo said. “… We had the opportunity to win the baseball game, we just couldn't do it.”
X-rays negative after D-Backs prospect Lawlar hit by pitch
OAKLAND, Calif. — Jordan Lawlar was removed from today's game with Double-A Amarillo after being hit on his right wrist. Lawlar, a shortstop, is considered the Diamondbacks' top prospect and a top-10 prospect in baseball by most publications, despite scuffling to start this year. He is hitting .178 with a .673 OPS in 28 games.
A team spokesperson said that Lawlar's x-rays after the game were negative and labeled him as "day-to-day." Lawlar was the sixth overall pick in the 2021 draft, but played just two games that year after suffering a posterior labrum tear in his left shoulder. Last year, he hit .303 with a .910 OPS in 100 games between Single-A and Double-A.
Tuesday's Diamondbacks-Athletics pitching matchup
Diamondbacks LHP Tommy Henry (1-1, 4.43) vs. Athletics LHP Kyle Muller (1-3, 7.34).
Henry has taken considerable strides over his last two outings. He allowed two runs in six innings against the Nationals then followed that up by allowing two runs in 6 2/3 innings against the Giants on Thursday. … Over those two outings, Henry’s ERA was 2.84, down from 6.52 in his first two major league starts of the year. … Henry debuted last summer but started this year in Triple-A before being promoted when the Diamondbacks designated Madison Bumgarner for assignment. … Even in his improved starts of late, Henry has struggled to miss bats. He hasn’t struck out more than three batters in a game this season. … The A’s acquired Muller in the three-team trade this off-season that was most notable for sending Sean Murphy from Oakland to Atlanta. … Muller has been hit hard all season, allowing at least four runs in five of his last six starts.
Coming up
Wednesday: At Oakland, 12:37 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Ryne Nelson (1-2, 6.20) vs. Athletics RHP Luis Medina (0-2, 8.18).
Thursday: Off.
Friday: At Pittsburgh, 3:35 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (6-1, 2.35) vs. Pirates RHP Johan Oviedo (2-3, 5.14).
Saturday: At Pittsburgh, 1:05 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (0-1, 8.59) vs. Pirates RHP Roansy Contreras (3-4, 4.40).
Monday game recap: Merrill Kelly dominates A's then gets ejected as D-Backs win again
Up next
Oakland Athletics
The Athletics entered this series with just nine wins in their first 41 games, the worst record in baseball. After parting ways with veterans in previous years, they continued to sell off pieces during the winter, trading C Sean Murphy to the Atlanta Braves and LHP A.J. Puk to the Marlins in exchange for prospects. They are left with a team filled with largely inexperienced players, many of whom are struggling to perform in the early part of the season. The A’s were 27th in the majors in runs per game as an offense, averaging just 3.8 runs. Their pitching staff was last in the majors with a 7.20 ERA; the next closest is the White Sox (5.54 ERA). OF Brent Rooker, who the club claimed off waivers from the Royals in November, is off to an incredible start, taking a .316/.424/.667 line into the Arizona series with 11 homers and 20 walks. CF Esteury Ruiz was hitting a decent .277/.339/.371 with 18 steals in 21 tries. The A’s rotation has a 7.58 ERA. RHP Mason Miller showcased his electric stuff over four starts but recently landed on the injured list with elbow tightness. The A’s bullpen is last in the majors with a 6.72 ERA.
Early Diamondbacks-Athletics reading
Extra pop: Lourdes Gurriel Jr. giving D-Backs what they expected, and more
No relief: How can Diamondbacks address recent bullpen woes?
Class by himself: Zac Gallen no longer a fringe player
Timing issue: New pitch clock might be factor in blown save spike
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diamondbacks left figuring out what happen in extra-inning loss
