D-backs Drop 3rd in a Row to Phillies, Losing 5-4,

Aaron Nola out pitched Ryne Nelson, Diamondbacks bats go silent for final six innings

The Phillies downed the D-backs today 5-4, taking the four game series three games to one. The Phillies also end up taking the season series from the D-back 4-3 and move one game over .500 to 35-34.  Arizona falls to 41-28, but remain in first place in the NL West. 

Ryne Nelson had another rough outing. Attacking early in the counts, the Phillies got to Nelson for 10 hits and all five runs in just four innings of work from the Rookie right hander. Seven of the 10 hits came on either the first or second pitch. Bryson Stott homered on a fastball above the zone for the Phillies first run in the second inning. They loaded the bases after that and Trea Turner delivered a two out infield hit to allow the second run to score. Nelson was late covering the bag on a sharply hit ball to Christian Walker, but in truth Nelson was only a step late and the Speedy Turner beat him by two steps and likely would have been safe anyway. 

A base hit  by Stott in the third and a double by Alec Bohm plated the third Phillies run in the top of the 3rd. The D-backs managed to take a short lived lead in the bottom half of the inning however.  Jake McCarthy hit a bloop double to left and Gabriel Moreno, playing for the first time since Sunday, singled him home.  A base hit by Geraldo Perdomo set up Ketel Marte with two on, and he delivered what at the time was a go ahead three run blast. 

Big hit for Ketel for the lead !

pic.twitter.com/yRmXbuudpV

— Jack Sommers (@shoewizard59) June 15, 2023

Backup catcher Garrett Stubbs led of the bottom of the fourth for the Phillies. He came into the game without a homer on the season and having walked just once and struck out 14 times 39 at bats. He'd already struck out in his first at bat in this game. For some unknown reason the game plan was to pitch Stubbs away and not attack him, despite the potent top of the Philly lineup coming up behind him.  Six straight times Moreno set up well away, and six straight pitches, four of them balls were pitched up and away, resulting in a leadoff walk

Top of the 4th inning, pitch locations to Garrett Stubbs leading off.  / MLB.com

The rest of the inning was almost predictable. Kyle Schwarber doubled, and Stubbs came around to score. Turner singled Schwarber to third and Bryce Harper drove him home with the go ahead and final run.

Giving the lead right back was frustrating enough, but walking the leadoff hitter in that situation with that game plan was something neither the pitcher nor his manager had any explanation for. Asked why he didn't attack Stubbs and instead pitched away Nelson simply said, "I'll have to go look at that, I didn't notice that in the moment".   Torey Lovullo conceded those are some of the little things that naw at him. 

I want to be situationally aware and respectful of their number nine hitter. He got on by a bunt that started a rally and got on by a walk. But he's a number nine hitter and you know turning it back over to a couple of the best players in baseball that are sitting there waiting for you around that turn, you've got to attack the nine hitter. 

Nelson's final line was 4 IP, 10 hits, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5K, 1 HR. Lovullo was non committal when asked if Nelson will remain in the rotation, saying that's something they will continue to evaluate. He did make clear however that they are past the point of no return with regards to Drey Jameson and getting him stretched back out to start. He will remain a reliever.  Jameson threw 2.1 scoreless innings and Kyle Nelson, Miguel Castro, and Andrew Chafin combined to hold Philly scoreless over the final  2.2 innings as well, at least giving the D-backs a chance to come back. 

Nola and the Phillies bullpen shut down the D-backs the rest of the way however as Arizona scratched out only three singles and a walk after Marte's homer. One of the base hits was a  drag bunt base hit up the first base line by McCarthy. He stole second and made it to third on Stubbs throwing error on the play, but was stranded there when Moreno and pinch hitter Emmanuel Rivera both struck out. 

The middle of the D-backs order was totally dominated by Phillies pitching. The 3-4-5-6 hitters, Corbin Carroll, Walker, Lourdes Gurriel Jr, and Josh Rojas went a combined 0-16 with nine strikeouts.  Gurriel had four strikeouts in a game for the first time in his six year career, (526 games).  In total the D-backs struck out 13 times while walking just once and had just seven hits. 

Adding insult to injury, Craig Kimbrel was charged with no fewer than three pitch timer violations in the ninth inning, one to Josh Rojas, and two to Jake McCarthy. The three gift balls did not help. Kimbrel retired the side in order to pick up his 10th save.  Aaron Nola went to 6-5 while Nelson's record drops to  3-4

The D-backs have now lost three in a row for the third time this season. They have not had a four game losing streak yet in 2024. They will try to avoid that when they face the Cleveland Guardians tomorrow night at 6:40 P.M. for the first of a three game weekend series. Zac Gallen will try to bounce back from his most recent poor start. He'll face Tristan McKenzie.