D-backs Brandon Pfaadt to try and Play Stopper vs Dodgers

Arizona will need to pitch a tighter game to avoid a series loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Aug 27, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Pfaadt reacts after giving up a home run to New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso in the second inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Diamondbacks lost another close, high-scoring affair to the Los Angeles Dodgers by a score of 8-6 Saturday night. Today, they'll look to avoid a series loss behind righty Brandon Pfaadt. First pitch is at 1:10 p.m. Arizona time.

The broadcast will be available on Roku, free of charge and blackouts. Instructions on how to watch can be found HERE.

Manager Torey Lovullo said ahead of the series that it was going to be "a wild one," and that's certainly been the case. Unfortunately for the D-backs, their starting pitchers have struggled mightily to deliver Quality Starts, and even in most cases decent ones.

Merrill Kelly was the latest Arizona starter to fare poorly early on, allowing three straight homers by Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman to open the contest.

Today, Brandon Pfaadt will have a chance to try and stifle LA's potent offense, and give the D-backs' own lineup a chance to get a lead.

Pfaadt has been Arizona's most consistent starter this season, however he's fallen on some struggles of late. He's allowed 16 (14 earned) runs over his last 17 innings, in three starts. He still has a somewhat respectable 4.31 ERA, backed up by a more solid 3.57 FIP, and leads the D-backs in innings pitched, but he's struggled with command lately - as has the rest of the rotation.

Pfaadt's turn in the rotation had been pushed back, and the young righty was able to get a couple extra days of rest ahead of his previous start, which ultimately was an unfortunate 4 2/3 inning, eight run affair. Pfaadt said there are pros and cons to the extra rest.

"When you wait eight days, you kind of come back a little rusty to an extent, but obviously getting that extra rest will help us later in the season as innings start building and I think come October we'll be thankful that we recharged... and got right back on the horse," said Pfaadt ahead of the series.

When facing the Dodgers, location mistakes are not missed. It's impossible to expect a completely flawless performance each time, but D-backs' starters haven't been able to avoid throwing hittable mistake pitches in the heart of the zone, and they're simply not getting away with it.

Pfaadt will need to find a way to consistently hit the edges of the zone to build both swing-and-miss deception and soft contact outs. There is little room for error when facing LA.

Pfaadt spoke on the playoff environment with Diamondbacks ON SI's Jack Sommers.

"Anytime the Dodgers are in town I think we can kind of expect [sellout crowds], especially after what happened last year, how we battled it out there in the [NLDS]," said Pfaadt. "I think nobody's shocked that that's the case, and we're certainly looking forward to Chase being rocking again."

The Dodgers will send out young left-hander Justin Wrobleski. The southpaw has only made five starts, and they haven't exactly been exceptional. He's posted a 4.68 ERA, but his 6.45 FIP suggests he's pitched even more poorly than his direct results.

He hasn't pitched six innings yet, and only has 18 strikeouts in 25 innings, but he does limit walks and base traffic, although he's quite vulnerable to the long ball. The D-backs have been hitting plenty of homers lately, so today could be the day to tee off early and often.

That said, the D-backs have struggled with left-handed pitching. They are 22-25 against a lefty starter this season, and are still down three of their key right-handed and switch-hitting bats in Christian Walker, Ketel Marte and Gabriel Moreno.

Something will have to give, and in the heat of a tight division race, Arizona cannot afford to roll over and cede the season series to LA with another poor outing today.

Lineup

Game 137.https://t.co/epBmrbYHsx | https://t.co/k9Xjx1ui6d pic.twitter.com/eJp3Ccdjp8

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) September 1, 2024

The D-backs' offense continues to find ways to answer back and score heaps of runs. Despite being down 0-2 in the series, they've scored 15 between the two contests.

They've hit for contact, power and the long ball, and have created chaos on the bases, though also making some baserunning errors. They've remained hot, and if they want to make up for sub-par pitching, they'll have to find a way to simply get hotter.

Arizona is going with a more right-hand heavy lineup, though the red-hot Corbin Carroll will move up to the two-hole despite traditionally struggling against left-hand pitching.

Carroll destroyed a ball to center field to lead off the game last night, banging it off the wall, and completing a remarkable inside-the-park home run in just over 14 seconds.

That said, the offense put up four runs in the first inning, and only two the rest of the way. Sustained hitting will be key. Hitting for volume is good, but with the Dodgers, Arizona can't afford to ever take their foot off the gas.

The Dodgers' top-end hitters have simply dominated Arizona's weak starters this series. Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman combined for five hits, three home runs and five RBI last night.

It's almost inevitable to give up something to some of baseball's best hitters. But D-backs pitchers have to avoid letting them bite them with the long ball. No, it's never ideal to walk many batters, but in the proper situations, a walk is much better than a solo home run.

Roster Moves

As September rosters have officially expanded, the D-backs have called up two of their minor leaguers.

Right-hander Slade Cecconi will join Arizona's bullpen, while speedy switch-hitting outfielder Jorge Barrosa was also given the call. More on these roster moves HERE.

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