The Diamondbacks came into Thursday with an 8-1 edge over the Giants this season, but none of that mattered once the bats went quiet in San Francisco. Arizona dropped the series opener 6-1, and the final score made the night look more lopsided than it really was.
Jose Cabrera had a rocky first inning, starting with a leadoff homer and needing 30 pitches just to get through it. After that, though, the rookie right-hander settled in and gave Arizona what it needed for the most part.
He worked into the fifth, allowed only two runs, and gave up just three hits. For a young starter, that’s the kind of recovery you can live with.
The second run came after some sloppy defense from the Dbacks, a rare slip for a unit that has usually been one of the club’s strengths. After beaning Koss, the next Giants hitter dropped down a sacrifice bunt, but nobody covered third base and Koss moved up.
It was a costly breakdown, especially with Nolan Arenado scratched just before the game because of thumb discomfort, leaving rookie Jose Fernandez in that spot. Koss later came home on a sacrifice fly.
After the game, Torey Lovullo said Arenado is day-to-day with the right thumb discomfort.
The bigger issue, though, was Arizona’s offense. Even with six runs on the board for San Francisco, this had the feel of a game the Dbacks could have taken if they had done anything with their chances.
The lineup never really got going against Giants pitching that wasn’t overpowering. Corbin Carroll went 0-for-4, while Gabi Moreno and Perdomo were the main bright spots, combining for three hits and a few solid at-bats.
Moreno also delivered a fourth-inning homer. Later in that same inning, the Dbacks loaded the bases with one out and came away empty.
That was the turning point. A big hit there, and the whole night could have looked different.
Now the pressure shifts to Friday, when another young arm takes the ball. Kohl Drake will start a meaningful game, and the offense has to find something quickly.
Arizona can’t afford to waste chances against a Giants team it should be handling if it wants to keep pushing in the wild-card race. The Phillies and Padres were both off Thursday, so the Dbacks lost only half a game and sit 1.5 games back.
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