D-backs Dormant Offense Silent in 2-1 Loss to Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix tonight 2-1. Garrett Whitlock limited the D-backs to just one run in five strong innings to improve to 2-2 and the Boston bullpen took over from there, retiring 12 straight batters to close out the game. Kenley Jansen picked up his 11th save of the season and 58th against the Diamondbacks. That's the most of any pitcher against Arizona all time. Trevor Hoffman is second with 46 saves against the Diamondbacks. Zach Davies, (0-1) took the loss.
The lone offensive highlight for the D-backs came off the bat of Ketel Marte in the first inning, when he hit his seventh homer of the year over the Red Sox Bullpen in right field. That extended his on base streak to 26 games.
Christian Walker had a two-out single in the first inning as well. The next D-backs baserunner came in the 5th inning when Jake McCarthy hit a two-out double. That was it for D-backs baserunners in the game. They did not draw a walk and struck out eight times. Pavin Smith went 0-4 in the leadoff spot and Corbin Carroll also went 0-4, with two strikeouts while batting third. The Red Sox pitching staff came into the series ranked 25th in the major leagues. But for the second straight night their starting pitcher went five innings allowing one run.
After the game Torey Lovullo stated the obvious that the offense just couldn't get anything going. He thought it was going to be a good day after Marte's homer. He emphasized however that when the offense is going right they have an all fields approach that they've gotten away from recently. "I think we're into a more slug approach from where I'm seated, rather than just have that all field approach, take what the pitcher's giving you, get on base via the base on ball...so over the past couple of games that's what we see".
On the pitching side, as Lovullo said it's hard to win a baseball game when you only score two runs. Starter Zach Davies pitched scoreless baseball for the first three innings. He threw 26 pitches to get out of the first and ultimately needed a well executed defensive play on a stolen base attempt with runners on first and third. Geraldo Perdomo took the throw at second base and threw back home to catch Alex Verdugo trying to steal home.
Davies ran into trouble in the fourth however, giving up three singles and a run around a strikeout. Lovullo went to the pen to take out his starter in the fourth inning for the second straight night. Boston plated the go ahead run after Kyle Nelson came into the game. A sac bunt brought Triston Casas in from third to close out the scoring and Davies pitching line. He went 3.1 IP, with 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3K.
There was some intrigue prior to the game around how Lovullo would use the bullpen after Drey Jameson was called up. As it turned out, Lovullo went to lefty starter Tommy Henry for an inning and a third in the fifth and sixth innings. After the game Lovullo said that Henry would still be in the rotation however and make the start on Wednesday against Colorado. He also re-confirmed Jameson would work out of the bullpen going forward. Austin Adams, Scott McGough and Miguel Castro finished out the game and were able to keep Boston from scoring further, but the offense just could not get anything going.
The D-backs have now lost three in a row, including getting walked off in the final game of their road trip in Philadelphia on Wednesday. Their record falls to 29-23. They remain in the top wild card spot, but their lead has shrunk to two games. The Dodgers won, so they're 2.5 games back of L.A. in the NL West. The Red Sox go to 28-24 and are two games back of the Yankees for the final AL Wild Card spot.
The Diamondbacks will try to salvage the final game of the series behind Merrill Kelly tomorrow at 1:10 P.M. MST. Tanner Houck will pitch for the Red Sox.
