Unforced Errors Bite Diamondbacks in Series Loss to Pirates

The Diamondbacks let another series get away from them, dropping two of three to the Pittsburgh Pirates at Chase Field. They were five outs away from a series win, with a win expectancy of 94% in the eighth inning of the second game. Since that point, they were outscored 17-1.

With the team continuing to underperform their talent level due to a lack of attention to detail, the frustration is beginning to mount. Arizona is 27-29 and fading fast in the Wild Card race, and instead of competing may become sellers at the deadline.

1. Unforced Errors Defensively Hurt Diamondbacks

If there is one central theme to this series, it's been the unforced errors. It's come in all phases of the game: hitting, defense, and pitching. It's the type of mistakes that frustrate players, managers, and fans alike.

The team wasn't immune to that issue in their lone win. In the eighth inning of Monday's game, Eugenio Suárez booted a routine play at third base. Two batters later, Justin Martinez had to come in to save a 5-0 game. While the right-hander was able to do that, it may have affected his availability and the outcome of the second game.

The second game was a case of missed opportunities on offense, but it was the pitching and defense that unraveled in the eighth inning. The killer at-bat came against Ke'Bryan Hayes, who drew a walk to load the bases in a 6-3 game. Hayes is a .224 hitter with a .567 OPS, the type of hitter that Kevin Ginkel normally has zero issues putting away. Instead, the Pirates capitalized with a bases-clearing double and a go-ahead three-run homer before making the second out of the inning.

In the series finale, it was walks and errors that killed the Diamondbacks. Zac Gallen's walk issues continued, as he walked the leadoff man in the second, fifth, and sixth innings. All three walks came around to score, as the Pirates collected six hits off Gallen.

Two of the runs against Gallen came on a Jordan Lawlar throwing error. With the bases loaded and no outs, Oneil Cruz hit a ground ball that Lawlar had to range to his left. With Cruz's speed, there was zero chance of a double play, but the young infielder forced a throw that sailed into left field. Instead of taking the sure out, the team got none. Gallen twice picked up the struggling second baseman, but the damage was done at that point.

2. Diamondbacks Bullpen Struggles Persist

The Diamondbacks' bullpen was handed a 6-2 lead in the eighth inning in the second game of the series. Ginkel, who allowed just one run in his previous six outings, got hit hard. He surrendered five runs on four hits and a walk. There was also a throwing error in the inning that came around to score.

Jalen Beeks did very little to stop the bleeding himself. With two runners on, he served up a go-ahead home run to Bryan Reynolds that made it 9-6. Between Ginkel and Beeks, the Diamondbacks' win expectancy on Statcast went from 94% to 8% between the time they recorded the first and second out of the inning.

Even with the return of Justin Martinez, the bullpen is still costing the team games. Since April 18, a common refrain, the unit collectively has a 6.48 ERA and a 5.50 FIP. That ranks 27th and 30th amongst all 30 major league clubs. There's an easy argument to be made that they have the worst bullpen in baseball by that metric alone.

Looking at the culprits, Ginkel has a 12.60 ERA and three losses on the season in 13 appearances. In the previous two seasons, he pitched to a 2.86 ERA and lost a total of four games in 132 appearances. Jalen Beeks and Ryan Thompson have also struggled in this stretch, with ERAs of 5.17 and 8.10 over the last five weeks.

3. Zac Gallen's Nightmare Season Continues

Gallen was almost a sure bet to get a nine figure contract this offseason, but after a nightmare season might not get the deal he's looking for. The right-hander struggled again in a loss to the Pirates, allowing six runs on six hits and three walks. In 12 starts, Gallen is 3-7 with an unsightly 5.54 ERA.

The struggles for the Diamondbacks' former ace aren't new. A lack of command has been the biggest culprit in undermining his contract year. He's walked 4.32 batters per nine innings, or 11.0% if you want to go by percentage. Gallen has the fifth-worst walks per nine and the seventh-worst walk percentage amongst qualified starters entering play Wednesday. That has resulted in extra baserunners, extra opportunities, more runs scoring, and shorter starts.

When he has given his team a chance to win, they have. In his four Quality Starts this season, the Diamondbacks are 4-0. When he doesn't deliver a QS, the team is 0-8, with his poor outings often digging too deep a hole to climb out of.

The Diamondbacks cannot expect to compete with Gallen being one of the least effective starting pitchers in baseball. Corbin Burnes, Merrill Kelly, and Brandon Pfaadt have done a solid job in the middle of the rotation, so there's still a chance they can make a run if Gallen turns it around. However, if he doesn't, the season is very much in jeopardy.