Torey Lovullo on Journey as a Manager and Game 4 Starter

Torey Lovullo will get to manage the first World Series game played at Chase Field since 2001. After 110 losses on his record in the 2021 season, the D-backs could have pulled the plug but chose to stick with him. Two years later their faith has been rewarded, as they'll have a chance to take a 2-1 series lead.

"I am grateful and appreciative of everything that this organization did for me through those dark times" said Lovullo. "I could have been fired on the spot after losing 110 games as the manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. But they believed in me, and it makes me extremely motivated to go out every single day to do the best that I can for this organization."

The D-backs manager was at a Lakers game when Arizona won their first World Series championship in 2001. The following season he got his first managerial gig with the Columbus Red Stixx, the Class A affiliate for the then Cleveland Indians. Lovullo reflects on what he's learned on the job.

"I probably didn't have my baseball clock on for the first several years, starting in 2002, in Columbus, Georgia. I would get thrown off by something that would happen an inning or two ahead. I used to get mad at myself going to bed that night for feeling like I was unprepared and letting the team down because I wasn't able to project the game ahead as far as I needed to. So I got on this quest early in my managerial career to ask questions of managers that would actually sit and talk to me about what their philosophy is. And some managers were two or three innings ahead. Some were thinking about the ninth inning in the first inning."

Lovullo has learned a lot over the past 22 years, going from the South Atlantic League to a big league coaching staff, and finally manager of a team playing in the World Series.

"I wouldn't trade the 10 years in player development for anything. Not one day of it. Of course, I wish I was in the big leagues as a staff member. But my daughter asked me the same question yesterday. She said, was it worth every bus ride, every tough moment now that you're sitting here in this situation? I said, 100 percent, yes. I would not trade it for the world."

For Game 3, expect Lovullo to take the same approach with rookie right-hander Brandon Pfaadt. He's held steadfast to the 18 plus or minus four batters rule, so expect Pfaadt to face the Rangers lineup no more than twice if it's a close game. Additionally he did not reveal who he might task with getting the start for a bullpen game for Game 4. He hinted at the possibility of using a left-handed reliever, which could mean the start could go to Joe Mantiply, Kyle Nelson, or Andrew Saalfrank.

"We've got to figure that out. I want to see what their last several left-handed, facing left-handed-pitcher lineups have looked like. But I'll probably do that at some point tonight after the game."

In Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, he turned to left-hander Joe Mantiply to neutralize the left-handed bats of Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. We could see a similar situation in which they open with a lefty to face Corey Seager and Evan Carter in the first inning, before bringing in a right-hander to finish facing the lineup the first time through.

They could also turn to Ryne Nelson, who pitched as a starter during the regular season, as their key bulk guy. Given Nelson's shaky track record though, it could make more sense to take a similar approach to the NLCS where they let matchups dictate who pitches. The Rangers have a very deep lineup, but a very thin bench with outfielder Robbie Grossman, catcher Austin Hedges, outfielder Travis Jankowski, and infielder Josh H. Smith.

The availability of who they can use for Game 4 will determine how Game 3 goes tonight for Pfaadt and the bullpen.