Diamondbacks Shutout by Dodgers 7-0

Brandon Pfaadt was hit hard and the Dodgers completed the three game sweep

The Diamondbacks came into the final series of the year against the Dodgers having gone 5-5 against the perennial NL West juggernaut.  They were shutout tonight 7-0 as the Dodgers completed a three game sweep to take the season series 8-5. The Dodgers dominated throughout the series outscoring Arizona 23-5.  

Brandon Pfaadt escaped a first inning jam when Jason Heyward hit a deep fly to the right field fence that Corbin Carroll made a leaping catch on. That was pretty much the lone highlight of the night for the Diamondbacks

Corbin Carroll's leaping catch at the wall to rob Jason Heyward https://t.co/BeWNv6SnTr #MLBFilmRoom via @MLB

— Jack Sommers (@shoewizard59) August 31, 2023

After walking the leadoff batter in the second Pfaadt proceeded to strikeout the next three batters and it looked like he might settle in. He said he felt good in the moment and "was ready to get rolling".  It was not to be.  

Mookie Betts singled to lead off the 3rd, and Freddie Freeman than launched a 440 foot homer way up the bleachers in right.  Pfaadt then committed an error on a routine come backer ground ball by David Peralta and one out later surrendered another two-run homer, this time to Jason Heyward, his second or the series. 

Pfaadt gave up two more runs in the 4th inning on a two out, two-run double by Muncy on the 9th pitch of his at bat, effectively ending the game. For Pfaadt it ended a run of good pitching in which it seemed he had turned his season around. But with tonight's drubbing his ERA went back up to 6.21 as his record fell to 1-6

Pfaadt had a difficult time executing on the game plan. "We let a good team have too many pitches to hit and wasted too many pitches early." Asked if there were any pitches he really regretted, it was the back breaker double by Muncy. It came on a sweeper that he failed to bury inside. It was also the third slider of the at bat and Muncy was looking for it. 

At this point in the narrative you might have noticed there has been no mention of the Diamondbacks offense. That's because there wasn't any. Dodger starter Ryan Pepiot threw five scoreless innings in his first start of the year, allowing just two hits. Ryan Yarbrough came on in the 6th and delivered four more scoreless innings, giving up four hits, including two in the 7th and two in the 9th. The D-backs could not break through to get on the scoreboard however. They drew just one walk and struck out seven times. 

From the fifth inning Monday night through the end of this game, a span of 24 innings the D-backs scored just one run, on a Corbin Carroll solo homer in Tuesday's game.  As Torey Lovullo described it, "It's been a long couple days".

"I think we've been a very resilient team. We know that we're a good team and our guys are frustrated right now. I know they're wearing it but I want to turn the page. We can't do a darn thing about it. We know we didn't play good here."

Things won't be much easier after the off day tomorrow. Starting on Friday they have a three game series against the first place and red hot Baltimore Orioles, kicking off a stretch of 17 games in 17 days that also includes seven games against the Cubs. The loss drops their record to 69-65, but they remain a half game back of the Giants for the third Wild Card spot and a half game ahead of the Reds. The ebb and flow of this race will likely continue well into late September. 

Lovullo announced the starters for the Orioles series.  Zach Davies will pitch on Friday, followed by Slade Cecconi on Saturday and Zac Gallen on Sunday