Diamondbacks Take Series Behind Brandon Pfaadt's Elite Outing

The Diamondbacks defeated the Cincinnati Reds 2-1 at Chase Field, winning the series and improving to a record of 21-23. It was the shortest Diamondbacks game of the 2024 season, spanning just 1 hour and 59 minutes.

The short-lived game was, as always, a result of excellent pitching. Young right-handed starter Brandon Pfaadt put forward one of the best showings of his career.

Pfaadt, 25, lowered his season ERA to 3.95, pitching seven innings of two-hit, one-run ball. He collected nine strikeouts, five of which caught hitters looking.

Pfaadt is now second in MLB in called strike threes with 24, behind only Dodgers' right-hander Tyler Glasnow and Phillies lefty Ranger Suárez with 25.

The young righty collected 22 called strikes in the contest, with nine apiece on his sweeper and four-seam fastball. He also recorded eight whiffs, four of which came on the sweeper.

Pfaadt noted that it had been a part of today's game plan to utilize that sweeping slider more against the Reds, and it paid off in the strikeout column. After going six innings without recording a strikeout in his previous start, today's game was a completely different story.

By all accounts, it was an excellent game for Pfaadt. He's recorded a Quality Start in five of his last six outings, including today's, and ties a career high for most seven-inning starts in a season, just nine starts into the year.

A Christian Walker solo home run made it 1-0 in favor of Arizona, and Pfaadt carried a no-hit bid through 4 2/3 innings, until it was ruined by a missed sweeper. Reds shortstop Santiago Espinal sent it into the stands with a solo blast.

Although Pfaadt notably began to give up harder contact, and he allowed a one-out double in the top of the 7th inning, he was able to keep his composure and retire the next two batters to keep the score knotted at 1-1.

Manager Torey Lovullo praised the young right-hander's outing.

“Brandon I thought… he’s got no-hit stuff, I just liked the way the sinker was working, he was blending it with his four seam and the sweeper, he had a quality changeup," said Lovullo, "he got into a great rhythm..."

The always-calm Pfaadt expressed his understated satisfaction with today's outing.

“This was one of the better ones, and hopefully it’s something to build on, for sure, and move forward,” said Pfaadt, “the stuff feels good, the game plans each and every game have felt on point, it’s just a matter of execution at this point, and seeing where it takes us.”

It was a quiet day offensively for the D-backs. After Walker's a solo shot run to left center in the bottom of the 2nd inning, the bats went relatively silent. Reds starter Andrew Abbott went seven innings, allowing just the homer and three singles.

Ketel Marte recorded one of said singles. He entered the game tied with Twins outfielder Max Kepler for the longest active hit streak in baseball with 14, and extended that streak to 15 today.

The single would be his only base hit of the game, as he finished 1-for-4 with a strikeout.

After right-hander Ryan Thompson pitched a scoreless eighth inning, left-handed hitter Pavin Smith came off the bench to face Reds right-hander Fernando Cruz.

With two outs, Smith hit a sharp double to right field. A second double off the bat of Lourdes Gurriel Jr. somehow dropped fair in deep right and gave the D-backs a 2-1 lead heading into the 9th inning.

Smith explained his hitting approach in the critical situation.

“I faced [Cruz] a couple times before, and we faced him as a team in that eighth inning a few times, and he’s gotten the first two guys out every time. And then he walks the third guy, so I knew that was probably his main goal, was not walking, so when I got into a 3-1 count, I was kind of selling out to the heater, and got one.”

Although Lovullo had a few left-handed options to choose from off the bench, the manager expressed his confidence in Smith vehemently.

"Pavin can hit… He can barrel up the baseball, and he can see balls and see strikes, and he’s always in a good hitting position. He’s going to give you an honest, grinding at-bat, and I like that a lot.”

Smith expressed his appreciation for his manager's faith in him, even when his numbers might not be an indication of the quality of his at-bats.

“It’s big. All the confidence. A lot of hitting is confidence… being able to have that confidence from the guys around you definitely helps in all situations,” Smith said.

Paul Sewald collected his second save with a 1-2-3 inning, his first in front of the home crowd at Chase Field. The D-backs will have an off-day Thursday, before heading back into action against the Detroit Tigers on Friday at 6:40 PM.

Highlight Reel Below

Diamondbacks Take Series with 2-1 Victory Over Reds
Full Story at linhttps://t.co/NmliJWAtd4 https://t.co/RzUB7BZ6s7 #MLBFilmRoom via @MLB
— Jack Sommers (@shoewizard59) May 15, 2024