Diamondbacks Cannot Solve Darvish in 6-1 Loss

Diamondbacks conclude 2-5 homestand with another uninspiring loss to the Padres.

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The Diamondbacks had the opportunity to measure themselves against the top two teams in the National League West. Facing both the Dodgers and the Padres, the D-backs showed there was a significant gap between them and the two teams they're chasing. Shut out three times on the homestand, they were outscored 32-13. 

Since 2020 the D-backs record in September is 26-44, or a .371 winning percentage that ranks dead last in MLB over that stretch. With a difficult September schedule that features three teams in the race for playoff spots, the D-backs started 4-1. Since then, they've gone 3-9 and appear to be limping, instead of sprinting, to the finish line. 

For the second straight game, D-backs hitters had no answers at the plate. Yu Darvish blanked Arizona for six innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out eight. Despite Darvish's gem, the D-backs had an opportunity to fight their way back in the game in the fifth. Ketel Marte drew a walk for Arizona's first baserunner, followed up by a Corbin Carroll single for their first hit. Cooper Hummel hit a dribbler to the mound that Darvish fanned on to load the bases for Geraldo Perdomo. Perdomo worked the count full and battled, ultimately getting rung up on a backdoor cutter on the ninth pitch of the at-bat.

When asked about how the offense has looked this week, D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said the team will have to beat good pitching. He believes the team is capable of doing so, but the team will need to be more consistent at "squaring up mistakes, the one to two pitches per at-bat you'll get when a starting pitcher is feeling it and be stubborn to that pitch". 

Facing the Padres for a second time in two weeks, Ryne Nelson wasn't quite as sharp as when he blanked the Padres for seven innings in his major league debut. His fastball velocity was down nearly a full mile per hour and he struggled with command as he threw only 46 of his 85 pitches for strikes. His night ended early, when he was hit on the right arm by a Brandon Drury line drive and left the game. After the game Lovullo gave an update that the ball hit Nelson in the forearm, near the flexor mass, with Lovullo removing his rookie right-hander due to precaution after one warmup pitch. Nelson said the ball hit him in mostly muscle, not bone, narrowly dodging a serious injury.   

Nelson's final line was 5 1/3 innings, 3 hits, 4 runs, 3 earned, 4 walks, and 3 strikeouts. His record is now stands at 1-1 with a 1.47 ERA.

Nelson struggled to get ahead of hitters, throwing first-pitch strikes to only nine of the 22 hitters he faced. Lovullo said that Nelson wasn't very efficient commanding his fastball and that he made some "middle-middle mistakes" and the Padres made the adjustment. 

San Diego struck first on a two-run home run by Manny Machado, which ended Nelson's consecutive scoreless innings streak at 13. The Padres tacked on in the third, when Jurickson Profar singled, advanced to third on a throwing error by Nelson on a pickoff attempt, then scored on Brandon Drury's sacrifice fly. Juan Soto then added a solo homer in the 5th for the Padres fourth run. When asked about the home run balls, Nelson said on the Machado home run he was trying to come inside and Machado beat him to the spot. On the Soto homerun the catcher was set up low and away but the pitch was a middle-middle fastball. 

Taylor Widener had a solid outing, throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen with 2 strikeouts after being rushed into duty due to the Nelson injury. Ian Kennedy and Mark Melancon both allowed a run apiece, in the 8th and 9th inning respectively.

The D-backs will have to turn the page quickly, as they travel to Los Angeles for a five-game series against the Dodgers. Right-hander Merrill Kelly (12-6, 3.01 ERA) will square off against left-hander Clayton Kershaw (8-3, 2.44 ERA) in a rematch of Tuesday's game.