Evan Longoria’s big plays help save day for Diamondbacks
MILWAUKEE — When he delivered the news to Evan Longoria that he would be starting Game 1 of the wild-card round on Tuesday night, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo barely received a reaction from the veteran third baseman.
“He was tying his shoe and didn’t even pick up his head and said, ‘Gotcha,’” Lovullo said. “That's why I like him.”
Lovullo was banking on a steady, stable performance from someone who wouldn’t be overwhelmed by the big stage. He got that, and more, from Longoria, who made a trio of defensive plays that helped the Diamondbacks secure a 6-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field.
In the fifth, Longoria made a diving catch of a Tyrone Taylor liner before throwing from his knees to complete a double play. An inning later, he threw behind an overly aggressive Christian Yelich to steal another key out. Then in the seventh, he knocked down a would-be double to hold Willy Adames to a single; Adames was erased on a double play one batter later.
“He was ready,” Lovullo said. “It’s just a very calm, veteran presence that we all needed, and I think we built off of him.”
From the sound of it, Lovullo might be prepared to lean on Longoria for as long as the Diamondbacks are alive the rest of the month. Third base has been a trouble spot for the club again this season, and while Longoria hasn’t swung the bat particularly well in recent weeks, Lovullo seems willing to bet on his ability to rise to the occasion.
“I hope, man,” Longoria said. “Whatever I can do when I’m penciled in the lineup, I feel as physically ready as I’ve felt. Obviously, offensively, I’d love to be able to contribute a little bit more, but big moments happen on offense and defense in the playoffs.
“I’m really enjoying this, man. This team is so special and I really think we have something here. I’m just kind of really relishing being on the field every chance that I get.”
The play in the fifth was the biggest of the bunch. With the bases loaded and one out, the Brewers looked certain to at least tie the game at 4, if not move ahead. But Longoria’s catch not only saved a run it also stopped the scoring threat in its tracks.
“It’s just a reaction,” Longoria said. “Sometimes I don’t even jump for those, but, for whatever reason, in that moment, you know, we’re trying to leave it all out there on the field. I threw my glove up and I felt it hit my glove, but I couldn’t actually tell if I caught it.”
He caught it all right, then he quickly flipped to second to double off Adames, who thought the ball was ticketed for left field. The Brewers still would have needed to come up with a two-out hit, but Adames’ misread took the bat out of the hands of Christian Yelich, their best hitter.
“Look, it’s difficult,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “I think (Adames) probably read (the ball as going) over his head, and it was probably two inches from being over his head. And, unfortunately, it cost us, for sure. He made an aggressive read; it turned out to be the wrong one.”
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It was the second time the 37-year-old Longoria has made a huge play in a key game in recent weeks; last month, his slide against the Chicago Cubs helped the Diamondbacks prevail in 13 innings in what was probably their best win of the year.
“I talked about his steadiness, his demeanor, his experience,” Lovullo said. “I have a good feeling when I look out there and he is standing at third base or he is up at the plate, so I can only imagine what some of his younger teammates — or all of his teammates — were feeling.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Evan Longoria’s big plays help save day for Diamondbacks
