D-backs Losing Skid Hits 9 Games in 10-5 loss

The Padres hit Ryne Nelson hard while the offense and bullpen came up short.

Coming into tonight the Diamondbacks had gone from 16 games over .500 to one game under in just 31 games. No team that far over .500 since 1900 had melted down that quickly to fall under .500 in fewer games. (It happened three other times prior to 1900). Now that meltdown rate has accelerated even further as they lost their 9th straight game, falling to the Padres 10-5  to fall two games under .500 at 57-59

As has so often been the case, the offense squandered an opportunity to put up a crooked number in the first inning against Blake Snell. The D-backs had 2nd and 3rd with one out and one run already in thanks to two walks and Christian Walker doubling home Corbin Carroll. They failed to score another run that inning, however. 

A force out at home on a contact play was followed by Walker getting thrown out at home trying to score on a wild pitch. He seemed to hesitate and Gary Sanchez made a quick recovery and flipped to Snell who got the tag down. That set the tone for the game as Snell shut down the D-backs until the 6th when Ketel Marte hit a solo homer, his 19th of the year. Two hits and two runs were all they would get off of Snell through six innings despite him walking four batters.  

Meanwhile, Ryne Nelson was hit hard again at Chase Field, continuing a season-long trend. He gave up a two-run homer to Xander Bogaerts in the second inning. Then the Padres scored four more runs in a third inning that included an RBI triple from Juan Soto and an RBI single from Manny Machado. The outburst was capped off two batters later by a two-run homer from Jake Cronenworth.  As the inning was building it became apparent that the Padres were on Nelson's pitches. 

Asked after the game if he thought he might be tipping pitches. "We talk about tipping pitches a lot," Nelson said. "If anyone would like to tell me what I'm doing, that would be nice, But we can't seem to figure out if that is the case."

He went on to say there were some pitches that were confusing citing one specific example. "Like the heater inside to Bogaerts today, [the home run] that was a pitch numbers-wise that he doesn't hit very well, and could it just be luck that he was guessing fastball and got it maybe, but if I am tipping I would like to know"

Torey Lovullo was asked if he thought about getting the bullpen up a couple of batters prior to the Cronenworth homerun when the score was still 4-1 after the Machado base hit. 

"I felt like Slade was going to be the guy, but it's something I'll think about and I appreciate you opening my eyes to it. Slade was coming into the game at some point when he was ready, but it happened fast. I think the two-run homer run was the deciding factor to get somebody up"

By the time Cecconi came in the next inning, it was already a 6-1 hole. Nelson's final line was 3 IP, 7H, 6ER, 1BB, 2K, and 2HR. His record fell to 6-7 as his ERA jumped to 5.47, and his home ERA is now 8.59.  Cecconi ended up going 1.2 innings and 20 pitches thrown. The D-backs will need a fifth starter early next week, and limiting Cecconi was part of the game plan to preserve him for a start in Colorado according to Lovullo. 

The Padres got a tack-on run in the 6th off Joe Mantiply and Luis Frias, but for the most part, the bullpen did a good job through the 8th inning giving up just one run. The D-backs fought back, putting together a rally in the bottom of the 8th on singles by Carson Kelly and Ketel Marte and then a three-run homer by Tommy Pham, his first as a D-backs and 11th of the year. That got the D-backs to within 7-5, but they couldn't get any closer. Scott McGough came in to pitch the 9th inning and gave up three runs on two doubles and two singles to put the game out of reach.

With this latest loss, the D-backs appear to be a team that is completely defeated and confidence shattered. From the manager on down, they seem to be rudderless seeking answers and direction in a sea of defeat.  While they are still just 3.0 games back in the wild-card standings for the final playoff spot, there are three teams ahead of them and the Padres are now just one game behind. The desperation to win even one game is starting to feel like the dark days of 2021.

But play on they must. Tomorrow's game starts at 5:10 with Zac Gallen on the mound against Rich Hill. Maybe that will be the game they break the losing streak.