Arizona got the kind of response it needed on Saturday, and Brandon Pfaadt was right in the middle of it.
The Diamondbacks steadied themselves with a rebound win over the Cardinals, evening the series after a rougher stretch and getting a much cleaner performance on the mound and at the plate. Pfaadt set the tone with a strong start, and Nolan Arenado delivered the clutch hit that helped push Arizona back into the win column.
Arenado had plenty of praise for Pfaadt after the game.
“He’s been phenomenal,” Arenado said of Pfaadt. “I mean, totally different pitcher.
Just to see the confidence he has out there right now. The times I used to face him was never a comfortable at-bat because he’s got so many pitches and he throws all of them to everybody.
It’s just great to see him be competitive out there. And like I said, just a totally different pitcher than earlier in the year.”
Pfaadt, for his part, said the rising pitch count is part of where he is in the process right now.
“I feel good,” Pfaadt said. “It’s still a buildup, so every outing’s longer and that last inning is more and more challenging, but in a good way. I think that’s part of the buildup and part of getting to where we want to be.”
There was also a note on the injury front. Torey Lovullo said the club is giving a player a little time to heal after an issue that showed up in Dodger Stadium.
“I think he had a little bit of an issue there in Dodger Stadium,” Lovullo said. “Tried to play yesterday.
Got some imaging this morning. … It’s just above his knee on the inside part of his thigh.
We just thought to give him a little bit of a blow, heal that thing up.”
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Arizona still found a way to finish the job in extra innings, with the club getting the win without Carroll on the field, but the bigger question now is how long it will have to manage without him. Torey Lovullos update offered some initial relief, yet the Diamondbacks are still waiting to see what comes next after Carroll was pulled and replaced by Jorge Barrosa. [Read more 🡒]
Ketel Marte Feels Like Arizonas Only Answer In This Spot
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The matchup on July 20 puts Marte in exactly that kind of lane, with a left-handed starter on the other side and a home-run angle that fits the way he has been swinging the bat. Arizona does not need much convincing to lean on Marte in a spot like this, but the appeal comes from how his power numbers line up with a pitcher who has had trouble keeping the ball in the yard. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Pfaadt May Be Giving The Diamondbacks Exactly What They Need
Brandon Pfaadts return to the Arizona rotation came out of necessity, with injuries forcing the club to dip back into Triple-A Reno for help. What has followed has been a far more encouraging stretch than the Diamondbacks could have reasonably expected, as he has looked sharper, more efficient and increasingly capable of giving the staff a steady start when it needed one most.
Since June 30, Pfaadt has settled in with better command and a cleaner overall approach, which has helped him avoid the kind of innings that can unravel a game in a hurry. The bigger question for Arizona is whether this is the version of him it can count on going forward, or just a useful run at the right time, but for now he is doing exactly what the rotation has needed. [Read more 🡒]