Power Surge Supports Pfaadt's Gem in D-backs Victory

Brandon Pfaadt took the mound for the Diamondbacks fresh off an outing against the Orioles where he went six scoreless innings. Against the Marlins it was more of the same from the young right-hander.

After becoming the club's biggest innings eater in 2024, he has blossomed into exactly what the D-backs hoped for when they selected him in the fifth round in the 2020 draft.

The right-hander started strong, pitching three scoreless innings to kick off the game. His usually great strikeout numbers still showed, and even without relying too heavily on his headline sweeper, Pfaadt's deep arsenal powered him through the Marlins lineup.

Marlins righty Max Meyer, the former No. 3 overall pick, looked fantastic early on, striking out the side to start the game. This was due to an exceptionally sharp slider which he paired with a high-velocity fastball to keep the D-backs' hitters off balance.

While Arizona's offense struggled against Meyer at first, power-hitting Josh Naylor seemed immune. A 398-foot blast off his bat gave the Diamondbacks an early 1-0 lead. This was Naylor's second straight game with a home run, and his third in the last six games.

While Brandon Pfaadt dominated early, he was bit in the fourth when Matt Mervis stepped up to the plate. The former Cubs top prospect sent a pitch well below the zone 396 feet over the right field wall. It was his 6th home run in the last eight games.

The Diamondbacks rallied back, with Gabriel Moreno and Alek Thomas reaching with no outs. Corbin Carroll who continues to lead the early season MVP discussion raised his MLB leading on base streak to 18, driving in Moreno.

Alek Thomas however on the same play was caught between second and third, and during a tough slide into third base seemed to jam his finger. Thomas remained in the game and played through till the end without issue.

Pavin Smith joined the offensive party in the sixth inning off Meyer, belting his second home run of the year. The left-handed DH continues to be a big part of Arizona's offense, and could be a big difference maker with some added slug.

Pfaadt, while pitching very well, didn't complete the sixth inning. With two outs in the inning manager Torey Lovullo opted to bring in reliever Jalen Beeks, ending the Diamondbacks' streak of six consecutive Quality Starts.

That alone undervalues Pfaadt's performance, as the righty outdueled Meyer, and struck out six Marlins in 5.2 innings of one-run ball, allowing five hits.

Manager Torey Lovullo said it was a Quality Start in his book, however, speaking to D-backs.TV's Jody Jackson postgame.

"[Pfaadt] went out there and really was powering through the zone. There were some misfires, and the thing that stood out to me is he got right back into the count with any pitch. That, to me, is self-correcting, staying in the moment, staying present and going out and executing.

"I know it wasn't a quality start, we talked about that. It had been a string of them, and here I was being the grim reaper, and I broke that. But it was a Quality Start for us, and that's all that matters. He won the game. He did his job, and everybody in this dugout and this clubhouse right now feels the same way as I do, that it was a Quality Start," Lovullo said.

Meyer on the other hand collected a Quality Start, striking out eight Diamondbacks, and making it through six innings with three runs allowed.

More fireworks came off of Miami's bullpen when young rookie Tim Tawa belted his first major league home run. The longball was the third solo blast of the game. This was no cheap shot for the 26-year-old, with the ball traveling 414 feet at an impressive 105.3 mph.

This still didn't conclude the Diamondbacks' power surge as Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who has struggled mightily to start 2025, belted his third home run of the year, bringing the score to 6-1.

The Marlins tried to battle back, scratching out a run against A.J. Puk but finally relented, with the final score ending at 6-2 for the Diamondbacks' fourth consecutive series win. Shelby Miller and Justin Martinez both tossed efficient scoreless innings.

"I think we're on a really good spin right now and the guys are playing hard," said Lovullo. "We're having a lot of really positive results. We're making fewer and fewer mistakes, which is translating into winning moments. And that's really what we're all about. That's Arizona Diamondbacks baseball."

The Diamondbacks will have an early 9:20 a.m. MST first pitch on Thursday for the final game against Miami, looking for a three-game sweep.