Arizona Diamondbacks-Offense Bails Out Bullpen Again
By Joseph Jacquez
More often than not at home this season, the Arizona Diamondbacks found new ways to loose and make visiting teams more comfortable when they arrive at Chase Field.
Coming into play on Saturday night, the Arizona Diamondbacks had the second worst home record in the majors at 24-42. They trailed only the Atlanta Braves who won just 19 games in the team’s final season at Turner Field.
This poor home record is a culprit of the inability of pitchers to make adjustments on the mound. Whether Arizona pitchers are “intimidated” by the ballpark is up to interpretation, However, pitching coach Mike Butcher says it can not be an excuse.
“Do we have some guys who are intimidated by the stadium? We probably do,” Butcher said in an interview with the Arizona Republic. “But that’s a mentality we’re going to have to get over if they’re going to learn to compete and win at the big-league level, whether it’s here or any other team.”
At the end of the day, the results speak for themselves. As a group, the combined pitching staff own a 5.59 ERA at Chase Field, and the offense is often playing from behind.
Not being able to defend “home field advantage” is frustrating. This team never gives up, and it is finally starting to pay off. For the first time since 2013, the Diamondbacks have won in walk-off fashion in three consecutive games.
It came at the expense of lost leads and blown saves, but Chip Hale’s squad will take a win however they get it. That’s especially at home, and Hale noted, “we’ll take it any way we can get it.”
Brandon Drury, who scored the winning run from third in the 11th inning after a wild pitch by Reds pitcher Blake Wood on Friday night, echoed the same sentiment.
“The goal is to win games,” Drury said. “You can’t do anything about it, you’ve just got to go keep battling and pick your teammates up. That’s what the name of the game is, and we’re going to keep on doing that.”
The Diamondbacks took a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning, and that courtesy of a Rickie Weeks, Jr. solo shot to left.
The one run lead stuck until the top of the ninth. After getting the first two outs easily, Daniel Hudson fell apart. With runners on first and second after back-to-back singles, Jose Peraza singled home the tying run, and that gave Hudson his first blown save of the season.
After Reds’ reliever Rasiel Iglesias set the Diamondbacks down in order in the bottom half of the inning, extra innings wereneeded to decide the outcome
The Reds grabbed the lead in their half of the 10th off Enrique Burgos. In their half of the inning, Phil Gosselin tied the game. Here, Gosselin beat the tag of Reds’ catcher Ramon Cabrera after Cincinnati second basemen Brandon Phillips choose to go home on an A.J. Pollock ground ball.
Diamondbacks’ starter Braden Shipley turned in a quality start, and allowed just one run in seven innings. He only threw 55 strikes of his 90 pitches, but he induced 13 ground ball outs using his defense to go deep in the game.
Shipley deserved the win, but he was proud of how the team battled.
“That’s why I love to play baseball, to watch that kind of stuff,” he said. “The team’s constantly rallying, never quits, and that’s just a testament to what this team has to offer every day.”
Next: Derrick Hall to blame for Diamondbacks struggles
Arizona will go for the series win against the Reds in game two tonight. Zack Godley will be opposed by Anthony DeSclafani. First pitch is at 5:10 p.m. (Fox Sports Arizona).