Merrill Kelly Dominates A's for 7 Innings in 5-2 D-backs Victory

Homers by Geraldo Perdomo and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. back Kelly

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Merrill Kelly dominated for seven innings and the D-backs held on for a 5-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics.  Geraldo Perdomo and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. each had a two-run homer, but the offense stalled over the second half of the game making for some tight moments in the last couple of innings. Manager Torey Lovullo was ejected in the 8th inning arguing a check swing call that went against Kelly. Kelly was later ejected himself for arguing with the first base umpire after he was lifted from the game by Jeff Banister. 

Kelly had it all working tonight. He retired the first eight batters in order before a Josh Rojas throwing error to the number nine hitter broke up the perfect game.  Esteury Ruiz blooped a single to right and the no-hitter and shutout were gone as well.  Kelly retired 13 of the next 14 hitters through the 7th inning, and ran his strikeout total to nine, including five in a row at one point. Kelly generated 17 swing and miss, eight of them coming off the changeup.  Lovullo said that "fastball command and then a really really nasty change up" were what allowed Kelly to be so effective.  

Kelly gave up a leadoff homer in the 8th inning and walked Jordan Diaz on the contested check swing that resulted in Lovullo's ejection. A single followed and Kelly's night was over.  

Torey Lovullo was ejected for arguing this check swing call. pic.twitter.com/DNTOZ9jeJf

— Bally Sports Arizona (@BALLYSPORTSAZ) May 16, 2023

At the time of the ejection Lovullo said about 10 people in the dugout were yelling at the umpire and at that point he felt like he needed to run out and make sure he was the one that got ejected, not one of the players. Kelly was a little less diplomatic. 

"I thought that was a terrible call, I thought it was a very obvious swing....at that time that guy has one job to do, that's the only thing he's got to pay attention to right there and he missed it and it cost me a strikeout and possibly what led to me coming out of that game."

Fortunately the D-backs Miguel Castro was able to come in with runners on first and second and restore order, with the help of a baserunning blunder by Diaz.  Ruiz popped up to shallow left field and Perdomo went out to make the catch. Diaz ran on contact and never stopped and was doubled off second base. A walk and another popout later and the inning was over.  Andrew Chafin had an uneventful ninth inning retiring the side in order on three flyouts for his sixth save. Kelly improved to 4-3 and lowered his ERA to 2.92

Perdomo broke out of a slump in a big way. Dominic Fletcher doubled to lead off the second inning and two outs later Perdomo went down and got a pitch at the bottom of the zone and yanked it out to right field for his third homer of the year and a 2-0 D-backs lead. Perdomo also walked and scored in the fourth inning and had a single in the fifth.  In the third inning the hottest hitter for the month of May, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., followed a Corbin Carroll lead-off walk with a two-run homer of his own, his sixth of the year. 

🚨 'DOMO DINGER 🚨 pic.twitter.com/mmhFbMGqRs

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) May 16, 2023

When you're hot, you're hot. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/TLZ1o1dZUy

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) May 16, 2023

With the win the Diamondbacks have now won four in a row and stand at 24-18, six games over .500 for the first time this season. Game two of the three game series is tomorrow night at 6:40 P.M.  A couple of lefties will be on the mound, Tommy Henry for the Diamondbacks and Kyle Muller for the A's.