The Diamondbacks got exactly the kind of night they couldn’t afford: a flat follow-up to an encouraging offensive burst, and a 4-1 loss to the Padres that sent them right back to square one.
Arizona was hoping to build on last night and finally string something together, but instead the bats went quiet again and the early hole proved too deep. The first inning set the tone.
Zac Gallen was tagged for four runs right away, and even though he settled in after that, the damage was already on the board. He finished with six innings and four runs allowed, which on paper doesn’t look disastrous.
But giving up all four in the opening frame changed the entire feel of the game, and it never really swung back Arizona’s way.
Gallen was supposed to be the guy to steady things, the former ace asked to carry the load when the team needed a lift. Instead, the first inning unraveled fast, and the Diamondbacks never fully recovered.
The Padres kept him at four runs over the next five innings, but that only softened the blow a little. The big swing had already landed.
The offense didn’t offer much help. Nobody really got going, and the lineup spent the night chasing instead of controlling at-bats.
Pavin Smith went 0-for-3, and Corbin Carroll’s swing issues at the top of the zone showed up again, with pitchers continuing to work him there over the past couple of weeks. That’s a problem Arizona needs solved, and soon.
The missed chances were just as painful as the quiet stretches. After Ketel Marte doubled in the first, the Diamondbacks loaded the bases with no outs, but the inning ended with a fielders choice, a walk that brought in the lone run, and then an inning-ending double play by Nolan Arenado.
It was the first of three double plays that killed Arizona innings on the night, and two of them came off Arenado’s bat. After that first frame, the Diamondbacks managed only three hits the rest of the way, all singles.
That was especially frustrating because Arizona had already pushed Padres starter Marquez to more than 30 pitches in the opening inning. It looked like a chance to seize control. Instead, the inning ended with just one run, and the rest of the game followed the same pattern: opportunities fading, traffic disappearing, and the offense never finding another gear.
The bottom line is hard to escape. The Diamondbacks were outslugged by the worst offense in the league, and that’s not the kind of night a team can shrug off. Something has to give.
Arizona will try to bounce back tomorrow and get back to .500, with Jose Cabrera getting the start and Michael King waiting on the other side. These are too important to keep giving away. If the Diamondbacks are serious about being buyers, they need a response fast.
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Diamondbacks Suddenly Hold A Draft Advantage That Could Change Everything
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That approach still leaves room for a familiar type of target, too, since the club continues to value athletic, up-the-middle players and does not put much stock in height when weighing talent. The recently held Draft Combine at Chase Field gave the Diamondbacks another chance to see players up close, both on the field and in a big-league setting, as they sort through a class that could give them real leverage on draft day. [Read more 🡒]
Diamondbacks Suddenly Face A Familiar Ohtani Problem Before Friday
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Dave Roberts has already said the Dodgers are willing to adjust if Ohtani does not feel right, and the All-Star break adds another layer to the uncertainty around how much they want to push him right now. He is not expected to pitch in the All-Star Game, but he should still be in the lineup as the starting designated hitter, which keeps him in the spotlight even if Arizona mostly cares about whether it has to deal with him on the mound again by Friday. [Read more 🡒]