Brandon Pfaadt Allows 8 Runs in Diamondbacks Loss to Brewers

Pfaadt did not survive the second inning, as the D-backs were blown out by Milwaukee.

Sep 14, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Pfaadt (32) throws against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Arizona Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt had the worst outing of his major league career Saturday night, allowing eight earned runs without surviving the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers went on to win the game 15-8 in front of 44,886 fans at Chase Field.

For Pfaadt it was not only a continuation of a trend, but the culmination of a month's worth of bad starts littered with hits and runs. Including this game, over his last five outings he's thrown 22 innings and given up 25 earned runs for a 10.23 ERA. The damage has included a whopping 40 hits, with four homers.

His outing started with a leadoff walk to Brice Turang, and went downhill from there. A stolen base was followed by two fly balls and a run scored. Two hits followed, but a rare 2-1-5 pickoff play caught Garrett Mitchell off third to get Pfaadt out of the inning after 24 pitches.

It looked like he might settle down in the second when he got two outs to start the second inning. The Brewers then hit four consecutive singles, plating two runs. Having difficulty locating his sweeper all day, Pfaadt walked the next two batters, forcing in another run.

Up stepped Willy Adames with the bases loaded, and Pfaadt hung another sweeper over the middle of the plate. Adames unloaded the bases with a grand slam, putting the Brewers up 8-0.

For the year Pfaadt is now 9-9 with a 4.81 ERA. The fact that his FIP, or fielding independent pitching, is over a run lower at 3.66, is of little consolation. Pfaadt boasts a stellar 160/39 strikeout to walk ratio, but has given up 172 hits and 21 homers in 166.2 innings.

Some of the high hit total is bad luck perhaps, but much of it is simply inability to locate. The home run total is a result of mislocated sweepers more often than not.

The timing could not be worse for the Diamondbacks. Their best starter over thee last two and a half months, Ryne Nelson, just went on the injured list with right shoulder strain. His absence will force Jordan Montgomery back into the rotation. He had been banished to a mop up relief role after posting a 6.44 ERA and 1.674 WHIP in 19 starts.

Reliever Dylan Floro was abysmal as well. He entered the game in the fourth inning, and the Brewers immediately rocked him for two doubles and two homers, leading to four runs. He walked the leadoff batter in the sixth, who later came in to score as well.

Floro came over to the Diamondbacks from the Washington Nationals in a trade deadline deal in exchange for Andres Chapparro. At the time Floro boasted a 2.06 ERA and a 2.64 FIP to back it up. He ended up allowing five runs in two innings, the second time in three games he's given up that many runs.

Floro now has allowed 17 earned runs in 16.1 innings for the Diamondbacks for an 8.82 ERA. As noted by Jesse Friedman on X, Floro averaged over 92.5 MPH on his fastball and sinker last year, but on Saturday his velocity was all the way down to 88.

The D-backs were down 13-0 in the sixth before the reserves managed to get to Brewers starter Tobias Myers. They scored two in the sixth and two in seventh. Josh Bell had a two-run single and Randal Grichuk hit a two-run homer, his 10th of the year.

Not done yet, the D-backs scored four more runs in the eighth inning thanks to five hits and a Brewers error at third base. Grichuk had an RBI single in the inning, and Geraldo Perdomo hit a two-run double. That brought the score to 13-8, but the D-backs could get no closer.

William Contreras hit a two-run homer off Yilber Diaz in the ninth to run the score to 15-8 and squash any dreams of a miracle comeback.

With Saturday's loss the D-backs record drops to 82-66. Their lead over the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves in the Wild Card shrinks to just one game, as both teams have an 81-67 record. Both the Mets and Braves hold the tie-breaker over the Diamondbacks due to the better head-to-head record.

Arizona will attempt to salvage the series finale at Chase Field on Sunday behind Zac Gallen. Left-hander DL Hall will start for the Brewers. First pitch is at 1:10 p.m.