D-backs Get Beat Up by White Sox 9-2 in Bullpen Game

A close game early got away in the middle innings and a frustrated Torey Lovullo was ejected for arguing balls and strikes

Jun 15, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Home plate umpire Nick Mahrley (48) ejects Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo (17) during the eighth inning of the game against the Chicago White Sox at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Diamondbacks had success in their previous bullpen games, winning three out of four. That was not the case Saturday night a they lost to White Sox __-__ in front of 38,494 fans.

Scott McGough, Thyago Vieira, Bryce Jarvis, and Tommy Henry all gave up runs. The offense was kept in check by Erik Fedde. He had a little help from home plate umpire Nick Mahrley However.

Torey Lovullo was ultimately ejected in the 8th inning for arguing balls and strikes. In all it was a miserable game for the Diamondbacks.

It started off well enough in the first inning. Corbin Carroll led off with a double and Ketel Marte singled him home, for an early 1-0 lead. In the second inning the D-backs had the bases loaded with one out, but Carroll was rung up on a pitch that was clearly above the strike zone. Marte grounded out to leave the bases loaded and end the threat.

Mahrley's strike zone was inconsistent all night long, a problem he seems to struggle with quite a bit. According to the website Umpire Scorecard, Mahrley ranks 73rd out of 78 umpires in average consistency, minimum 10 games behind the plate.

McGough's lone run allowed was an inherited runner. He did his job throwing two scoreless before giving up a one out double to Martin Maldonado in the third inning.

Vieira relieved McGough and had a curious incident. After a pop out for the second out of the inning Torey Lovullo came out to the mound for a rare manager mound visit. He seemed to be telling Vieira to drop the ball and commit an intentional balk. Lovullo explained after the game it was a forced balk.

"Maldonado is very crafty and he was giving signs, he was nine for nine, he didn't miss one. We picked up on what his habit was, he was giving the sign to the hitter nine pitches in a row."

While the pitcher is using the pitch com device, Lovullo said that the base runner was able to pick up the pitch being thrown from watching the pitcher's grip in the glove. Maldonado is one of the best in the business according to Lovullo.

Thyago followed instructions and dropped the ball, balking Maldonado to third. Unfortunately he did not execute on a pitch to Andrew Vaughn who lined a single right up the box to score Maldanado.

Maldonado is not a fast runner and probably would not have scored from second. That run tied the game. Had Vieira got Vaughn out it would have looked like a genius move. Instead it backfired horribly.

Vieira later gave up a solo homer in the 4th inning. He issued a two out walk in fifth, and then gave way to Bryce Jarvis.

Jarvis promptly gave up a two run homer to Vaughn, putting Chicago up 4-1. The D-backs scratched one back in the bottom of the fifth to get within 4-2. Carroll hit his second double and move up to third on a bunt single by Marte. Carroll came home to score on a Joc Pederson sacrifice fly.

Fedde and the White Sox bullpen held the D-backs scoreless the rest of the way. The D-backs did not even have another baserunner after the fifth until they got two singles in the ninth. Those runners were of course stranded.

Henry let the game get out of hand by allowing five runs on a three-run homer Lenyn Sosa in the 7th inning and a two-run homer to Kory Lee in the 9th. The nine runs for the White Sox tied a season high. They're now 19-53 on the year.

Once again the D-backs were not able to recover and come back from being down multiple runs. They are now 1-32 when trailing by two or more runs at any point in the game. The only win came April 16th against the Cubs.

Arizona falls back to three games under .500 at 34-37. They will go for the series win behind Jordan Montgomery on Sunday. Chicago rookie Drew Thorpe will make the second start of his career.