The Diamondbacks got the kind of night that feels painfully familiar at this point: the starting pitching did enough to keep things from getting away early, and the offense never found its footing in a 7-1 loss to the Phillies.
Arizona’s latest disappointment came with a small dose of movement before first pitch, as the club announced that Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Blake Walston were the reinforcements. That news landed more like a shrug than a spark, and the game itself followed the same script.
Eduardo Rodriguez gave the Diamondbacks a workable start, allowing three runs over five innings, but it wasn’t clean. He had to grind through a couple of long innings and needed 31 pitches just to get through the first.
Once he was out, Gerardo Carillo couldn’t stop the bleeding. He struggled to find the zone, walked a batter, gave up two hits, and was charged with three earned runs.
Philadelphia took advantage of every opening. The Phillies kept the pressure on with 13 hits, moved runners along, and added sac fly RBIs as they consistently put the ball in play with traffic on the bases.
Arizona’s lineup didn’t do nearly enough to answer. The top four hitters - Geraldo Perdomo, Corbin Carroll, Gabriel Moreno, and Ketel Marte - combined to go 1-for-15.
Carroll’s slide has become especially hard to ignore; he went 1-for-9 in the series and 2-for-19 since the start of the Giants series. He also appeared to grimace while running up the line in the sixth inning, and Torey Lovullo said after the game that Carroll has had some low back discomfort the last couple of days but, in his words, “its that time of the year” and is “in there tomorrow”.
The one real jolt for Arizona came from Jordan Lawlar, who hit a solo home run in the fifth inning. Beyond that, the offense was mostly quiet. The Diamondbacks finished with six hits, went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position, and still haven’t gotten a hit with RISP in the series.
That has been the bigger problem lately. Arizona has scored two runs or fewer in six of its last nine games, and the timing couldn’t be worse with September approaching. The Phillies, meanwhile, are rolling - they’ve won four of their past five series and 15 of their last 17 games.
The Diamondbacks did not play well enough to beat a team on that kind of run, even if the matchup was already a tough one. They’ll try to avoid the sweep tomorrow, and at least the night ended with some help elsewhere, since the Padres also lost. But the offense is the issue, and right now it’s a real one.
In Other News...
Diamondbacks Get A Boost But One Bullpen Concern Just Got Bigger
The Diamondbacks got a little healthier as they pushed deeper into a postseason chase, activating outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and left-hander Blake Walston from the injured list. Both additions matter for a club that has been trying to keep pace in the race, with every available bat and arm carrying extra weight as the schedule tightens.
Ryan Thompsons move to the 60-day injured list, though, adds another layer of concern to a bullpen that has already had to manage plenty of moving parts. His season is now over, leaving Arizona to sort through the late-inning picture without one of the relievers it had hoped to count on down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Ketel Martes Return Just Sparked A New Diamondbacks Mystery
Ketel Marte was back in the Arizona lineup after a short stint away, and the focus around him quickly shifted from the knee injury that sent him to the 10-day injured list to the message on his hat. The phrase, May the Bridges I Burn Light the Way, stood out immediately, adding an unexpected layer to a return that was already being watched closely because of how important Marte is to the Diamondbacks day-to-day mix.
Manager Torey Lovullo read the message as a sign of accountability, which only made it more intriguing given the circumstances around Martes return. He is back from the injured list and carrying a .249 batting average this season, but the bigger question now is what prompted the message in the first place and what it says about the moment he is in with the club. [Read more 🡒]
Corbin Carrolls Slump Just Became A Bigger Diamondbacks Concern
Corbin Carrolls recent stretch at the plate has become one more thing for the Diamondbacks to manage at a time when they can least afford it. Over his last 15 games, Carroll has hit just .189, and his slump has lined up with a series loss to the Phillies that nudged Arizona into a tougher spot in the wild-card race. For a club trying to keep pace in a crowded postseason chase, every quiet night from one of its most dynamic players carries extra weight.
Torey Lovullo added another layer to the picture by revealing Carroll is dealing with lower back discomfort, though the manager still expects him in the lineup for the next game. The Diamondbacks are clearly hoping the break in production is tied to something temporary rather than anything more serious, because Carroll remains central to how they want to run their offense down the stretch. For now, the focus is less on results and more on whether he can play through it and start looking like himself again. [Read more 🡒]