Three Takeaways From Diamondbacks' Resurgent Series vs Orioles

Three things stood out from the Diamondbacks' sturdy series win at home.

Apr 9, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (2) celebrates with outfielder Corbin Carroll (7) after beating the Baltimore Orioles at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images / Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Not long prior to this writing, the Arizona Diamondbacks looked like a disconnected team. The path they were on had them set up for another rough year's worth of starting pitching, and a 5-6 record upon the conclusion of their first road trip was an inauspicious omen of what was to come.

But how that can change with a pair of quality wins.

It wasn't a perfect series by any means, but the Diamondbacks took two of three from a tough AL opponent in the Orioles, while Baltimore's young, powerful core of hitters were held relatively in check.

With that in mind, here are three key takeaways from an impressive series win:

1: Starting Pitching Stability?

The dreaded starting pitcher dilemma has plagued the Diamondbacks for what seems like forever. Entering this series, Arizona's starters had delivered only two performances where less than four runs came across.

But despite another shaky day for Zac Gallen to open the series, Arizona's starters stepped up to keep the Orioles down.

Merrill Kelly rebounded from a career-worst performance on Tuesday, tossing six innings of two-run ball. He looked dominant for five innings following a pair of runs scoring in the first.

Then, young right-hander Brandon Pfaadt delivered just the second shutout start of the season on Wednesday. He threw six quality innings, allowed no runs, and kept the Orioles generally off-balance on the way to a 9-0 win.

Tentatively, it looks as if the D-backs are beginning to return closer to average. They still need to see more quality outings from Corbin Burnes, Eduardo Rodriguez and Zac Gallen, but this series was a step in the right direction for the starting rotation.

2: Offense Surges Back

Over three games against the Nationals, the D-backs scored 13 runs. Over the final two games (both losses), they scored just seven. They scored five runs total over the first two games against Baltimore.

Perhaps those numbers are respectable, but they're low considering Arizona led the majors in runs scored by a decent margin in 2024.

Sure, some regression is to be expected. But on Wednesday, it all seemed to click again for the bats. Yes, it's only one game — perhaps a 9-0 downpour was a fluke. But, at the very least, it felt like a Diamondbacks game again.

A huge fifth inning saw five runs score. Arizona strung together two homers and a trio of two-out hits. They even scored two more in the ninth inning, reclaiming their territory as one of the most dominant late-inning threats in baseball. Each of the top four hitters in the lineup had multiple hits and a home run apiece.

One game isn't everything, but, for only the second time this season, the D-backs showed their identiy in a strong way offensively. If that trend even somewhat continues, they'll be in for another high-scoring season.

3: Fundamentals, Still

Perhaps the only negative takeaway from this series, the Diamondbacks still don't quite look as fundamentally sound as they've been known to be. While they did play a clean game during Wednesday's win, they also made a pair of crucial mistakes in the series.

Tim Tawa bobbled a routine double play, resulting in three more earned runs for Gallen on Monday. On Tuesday, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. made a spectacular diving catch — but sent the ball sailing, allowing a run to score, and sucking up 20 minutes of replay time as the umpires struggled to piece together a chaotic play.

It's not that these defenders aren't sure-handed. Manager Torey Lovullo is adamant about that, and for good reason. Arizona's defensive track record is quite positive, even when considering the loss of Gold Glove first baseman Christian Walker.

But each time even a routine play is made, there's a slight tension in one's shoulders that wasn't often present in years past. For now, there's little reason to believe Lovullo and his position coaches can't right the ship, but it certainly remains a deviance from the Diamondbacks' standard of defensive excellence.

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