© Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
D-backs Drop the Series Opener to the Cardinals 9-6
A bad start by Brandon Pfaadt and poor bullpen work negate a mid inning comeback
The Diamondbacks lost the opener of a three game series to the St. Louis Cardinals tonight 9-6. Brandon Pfaadt gave up six runs through the first three innings, but the D-backs stormed back with a six run fifth inning to tie it up. Joe Mantiply gave up the go ahead run to the Cardinals in the 7th, taking the loss. Scott McGough allowed the Cardinals to tack on two more in the 8th, giving the Cardinals their final margin of victory.
For Pfaadt it was very much a mixed bag. He allowed a three run homer to Nolan Arenado in the first inning and a two-run homer to Lars Nootbar in the third. In between he gave up a run on a single, a double by Victor Scott, and a sacrifice fly by Brendan Donovan. The gopher ball issues that plagued Pfaadt through the first half of last season appear to have returned. He gave up a big three-run homer in his previous outing as well.
Pfaadt settled down after that however retiring 10 of 11 batters after the Nootbar homer. He managed to complete six innings without any further damage. Speaking after the game, Pfaadt pointed to location issues that lead to the home runs that hurt him. While there were a few bloop hits and tough ball and strike calls that didn't go his way, he refused to make excuses.
Cardinals starter Steven Matz allowed five singles through the first four innings, but double plays in the 3rd and 4th innings got him out of trouble. Jordan Walker made a spectacular diving catch in the 3rd on a sinking liner from Lourdes Gurriel Jr.. Walker came up throwing to double off Kevin Newman who was already around third.
The fifth inning was a different story however. Matz committed a one out error on a routine tapper from Blaze Alexander. A double from Newman and singles from Ketel Marte and Gurriel plated three runs. Giovanny Gallego relieved Matz and after walking Christian Walker gave up an opposite field game tying three run homer to Eugenio Suarez.
Suarez has 33 homers in the 5th inning or later that were either the game-tying or go-ahead homers. That is the most in MLB since 2018. Pete Alonso and Carlos Santana are tied with 30. Kyle Schwarber and Aaron Judge each have 29 such clutch homers. Unfortunately it was not enough.
"I was proud of the way we fought back. You get down 6-0, you're always looking for a response. The team did a great job. We just kept chipping away, and clearly the big blow was Geno's [Suarez] big home run that got us right back in the game. "
There was to be no more offense from the D-backs after that. The Cardinals bullpen pitched four scoreless, hitless innings from the 6th inning on. In sharp contrast, the D-backs bullpen gave up three runs on seven hits, a walk, and a sacrifice fly. Luis Frias also had to work out of a bases loaded jam in the 9th.
So far this season McGough, Mantiply, Miguel Castro, and Frias have combined to take the loss in five of the D-backs seven losses. They've pitched a combined 23.2 innings and posted a 6.08 ERA while giving up 30 hits and eight walks for a 1.61 WHIP
Asked if he still believed in these relievers, a clearly frustrated Torey Lovullo didn't waiver in support for hit pitchers. "I gotta believe in them, I gotta. I can't protect them. They've got to pitch better , but I believe in them. They're going to get the baseball.......I'm not going to run from them."
