I should have saved the 19th century Russian novelist recap for this game.
Record: 15-14. Pace: 84-78. Change on 2024: +2.
There haven’t been a lot of blow-out losses for the D-backs this year. Through 28 games, they had actually only been beaten by more than four runs on two occasions. There was the 7-0 shutout loss to the Brewers on April 11, and the 8-2 loss to Atlanta on Friday night. But even those defeats were powered by a four-run ninth and three-run eight innings respectively. There hadn’t really been a contest where the D-backs were blown away from start to finish. You may have noticed, I am using the past tense. Because today was certainly the most one-sided contest of the year so far. After Starling Marte’s two-run homer, with no outs in the bottom of the third, the D-backs’ Win Probability was already down to just 3.5%.
By some metrics, Eduardo Rodriguez had been the best D-backs pitcher of the year. While that had not been reflected in a 1-2 record and 4.40 ERA, he had a fielding-independent ERA of 2.79, with almost five times as many strikeouts as walks (34:7) over thirty innings. But the wheels completely fell off the E-Rodmobile tonight at Citi Field. He hadn’t allowed eight earned runs in a start for almost nine years, since June 27, 2016, when he was in his sophomore season as a member of the Red Sox. But he did so in just four innings today, allowing nine hits and a walk, including three home-runs. His season ERA is now north of six, and over his entire time as a D-back (now 16 starts), Rodriguez’s ERA is 5.44.
Certainly, he has done very little so far to justify the four year, $80 million contract he signed in December 2023, with Eduardo’s production likely now below replacement level since then. I think this situation would have come in for a good deal more scrutiny by everyone, had attention not been focused on the underwhelming performances of our other starters. Particularly, Jordan Montgomery in 2024, Corbin Burnes this season, and Zac Gallen since the middle of last year. But if he doesn’t pick it up, then I’ll need to brush off that chart of the worst ever Diamondbacks contracts. Because the length and cost of this one definitely has the potential to merit a place on the list.
Given the hole dug by Rodriguez’s batting practice, there wasn’t much the D-backs offense could do about it. Gerardo Perdomo did his best, delivering the team’s first two hits. But if you want proof of how this just was not going to be Arizona’s day, the sequence of their at-bats in the fourth has you covered. Three balls in play, all with exit velocities greater than a hundred miles an hour, peaking with Eugenio Suarez’s one at 111.8 mph. All three became outs. Randall Grichuk’s, with an expected batting average of .630, ricocheted off the Mets third baseman, right to the shortstop. Suarez’s (.670) laser was a one-hopper to short. And in between, Lourdes Gurriell (.490) fell victim to a play of the year candidate (above).
Arizona got on the board in the fifth. A Jorge Barrosa double scored Gabriel Moreno, and gave the D-backs men on second and third with one out. But any faint hope of a comeback was short-lived, as Perdomo hit a comebacker and Tim Tawa was caught in a run-down off third. Pavin Smith had a pair of hits and a walk; Perdomo two hits. Runs were added late, on a Mets error and a Barrosa groundout. And it was nice to see Ryne Nelson get stretched out for a bit, as he seeks to rebuild after his role in losses to the Cubs and Rays. He has been throwing 30-60 pitches when he appears, and following Rodriguez’s abbreviated outing, Nelson tossed four scoreless innings on 69 pitches, with no hits, two walks and three K’s.
Let’s take a look at the Fangraph, and see what it can tell us about this one, shall we?
Photo by: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Yep, looks about right. Eduardo Rodriguez, -35.4%. That’s it. Nobody else had a significant contribution. The Game Score of 12 was the second-worst by a D-back this season, ahead only of the 6 posted by Merrill Kelly, when he allowed nine runs over 3.2 innings in Yankee Stadium. Heck, it’s among the ten worst outings by an Arizona starter since the end of 2021. You will understand that light was difficult to find in the Gameday Thread. But in the midst of all the gloom and (for once, entirely warranted) doom, I did enjoy the discussion between AZNailgal520 and Diamondbacks, talking about the approach of a certain team sideline reporter, whom I will call Wodd Talsh.
It’s back to the same location tomorrow, hoping for something… less sucky. Corbin Burnes takes the mound for Arizona, with another 4:10 pm first pitch, Arizona time.