Mitch Bratt made the kind of first impression that quiets a lot of noise.
In Phoenix on Wednesday night, the rookie left-hander outpitched Casey Mize and picked up his first MLB win as the Diamondbacks rolled to a 10-4 victory over the Padres at Chase Field. Arizona backed Bratt with an offense that broke things open in a hurry, then let the game drift away from San Diego after Mize ran into trouble in the fourth.
Bratt’s outing mattered in a bigger sense, too, because Arizona has been taking heat for the way GM Mike Hazen handled the starting pitching market. Hazen did not land a starter while the division-rival Padres added left-hander Robbie Ray and righty Casey Mize, leaving the Diamondbacks to lean on rookie left-handers Mitch Bratt and Kohl Drake, both acquired at last year’s Trade Deadline for Merrill Kelly, until some injured starters come back.
For one night, at least, that decision looked a lot better.
Arizona jumped on Mize for a pair of runs in the third inning, then delivered the knockout blow in the fourth. With one out, the Diamondbacks ripped off five straight hits and drew a walk in a six-run frame that put the game out of reach.
The Padres never found the edge they were hoping for from Mize in his debut, and Bratt’s performance ended up setting the tone for an Arizona win that had both the scoreboard and the conversation breaking the Diamondbacks’ way.
In Other News...
Diamondbacks Send A Clear Message With Latest Padres Lineup Shift
The Diamondbacks lineup for their game against the Padres came with a couple of notable absences, as Ketel Marte and Nolan Arenado were both set for scheduled rest days. It was the kind of midseason adjustment that signals more than simple maintenance, especially with Arizona juggling roster decisions around the active roster and the catching situation, where Gabriel Moreno returned and Del Castillo was optioned.
There was also movement on the pitching side, with Ryan Thompson shifted after a sharp post-break slump, another reminder that the club is not waiting around for performance to stabilize on its own. Against a Padres lineup that put Lars Nootbaar at the top against right-hander Casey Mize, Arizonas approach looked like a clear attempt to keep the group fresh, responsive and a little less predictable as the stretch run takes shape. [Read more 🡒]
Diamondbacks Deadline Leaves One Big Question For Arizonas Wild Card Push
The Diamondbacks entered deadline week with a real chance to reinforce a club still hanging around the postseason picture, but the biggest move they made was bringing in Lars Nootbaar from the Cardinals. Arizona sent Daniel Eagen, Sandro Santana and a player to be named later to St. Louis for the outfielder, a swap that gives the roster another option in the outfield but stopped short of the sort of overhaul many around the team expected.
What made the deadline feel unfinished was how little else changed for a club that still had obvious needs. The Athletics D+ grade reflected that unease, and general manager Mike Hazen did not try to hide his own frustration afterward, saying he wished more could have been done before the deadline. For a team trying to keep its wild-card push alive, the question now is whether this was enough or just the start of a longer fix. [Read more 🡒]