The D-Backs offense staged another epic 9th inning rally, but their pitching staff spotted the Marlins one run too many.
Game Summary
In what looked like another epic, Diamondbacks 9th-inning comeback, the Serpientes came up just short in their first game of the long homestand. Faced with a 4-run deficit in the 9th, the Diamondbacks clawed their way back to within one run with some singles, walks, and a little help from the Marlins defense. After Geraldo Perdomo worked a bases loaded walk, Ketel Marte came up with a chance to put a magical exclamation point on this game. Unfortunately, he was a little too aggressive early in the at-bat, putting himself in a hole before he watched strike 3 clip the bottom of the zone. What an all-time moment it would have been if he was able to send the team home with a walk-off grand slam after the week he’s had and the reception he’d received all night long. The much maligned Pavin Smith got a 2-RBI single to bring up Tim Tawa, who was in the game as an injury replacement for Josh Naylor, with runners on the corners and only one out. A fly ball would tie it, but the rookie hit a grounder right at the drawn in infield, resulting in a game-ending double play.
The Diamondbacks offense once again scored enough runs to win, scoring 3 runs in 2 separate innings and hitting 3 homers (2 into the pool area) on the evening, but it wasn’t enough on a night where Merrill wasn’t his usual self and the bullpen did regular bullpen things. To be fair, this Marlins team is hot, winning 4 straight before tonight including a sweep in San Francisco, but we can’t afford any hiccups from Merrill considering the carnage everywhere else on the roster. I hardly think this is some start of decline for the Mainstay, at least I hope not, but rather it was probably just a hot offense taking advantage of mistakes. Hopefully, the Diamondbacks will play cleaner defensively, like they had been lately, rather than the defensive buffoonery we saw for the early part of the season. The 2 unearned runs tonight can definitely be pointed to as a difference maker in what ended up being a 1 run game.
Josh Naylor’s status will no doubt be a large topic of conversation, considering he’s now left two games within a week due to what I presume is that shoulder acting up on him. I would be shocked if he doesn’t spend a stint on the IL. Will that mean more field time for Pavin? Perhaps a platoon of Pavin and Tristin English (who just so happened to be named PCL Player of the Week just last week)? We will see.
Win Probability and Box Score
Outside the Box Score
- The Chase Field crowd gave Ketel Marte an awesome ovation for Ketel Marte in his first trip to the plate tonight. It was his first appearance in front of the home crowd after the horrific fan experience he was subjected to last week in Chicago.
- Merrill Kelly wasn’t exactly efficient in the early going, but he was effective. His pitch count sat at 28 after the first 2 innings, and that’s despite getting 2 1-pitch outs. Still, can’t complain too much about 6 men up and 6 men sat down.
- Merrill Kelly struck out 5 of the first 8 Marlins hitters he faced. The fifth strikeout was completed after Herrera whiffed on the strike 3 pitch and ball flew to the backstop. Luckily, the ball took a perfect carom back to Herrera, so he was able to barehand and make the long throw to first just in time.
- First baserunner for either team didn’t reach until the bottom of the third inning when Jake McCarthy worked a walk after falling behind 0-2 in the count. He then stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored when Alek Thomas hit a sac fly all the way to the wall just inside foul territory down the first base line. Props to Alek on his at bat, as well. He fell down in the count 1-2 but ended up seeing 9 pitches, allowing Jake to eventually make his way to third so he could score on that fly out.
- The first 3 Diamondbacks hitters in the third inning saw 7, 9, and 8 pitches, respectively in their at bats. After being fairly easily handled in the first 2 innings, they really made Eury Perez work in the third.
- The Marlins were thoroughly dominated for the first 3-2/3 innings, but then reeled off 3 consecutive doubles to plate 2 runs and gain the lead. The middle double was hit 117 mph, which Bob Brenly reported as the hardest hit ball at Chase Field this year.
- Pavin Smith was gifted new life in the fourth inning when he popped up into foul territory between third base and the home dugout. The Marlins third baseman appeared to let off which seemed like it was going into the stands, but the ball ended up bouncing about 10 feet in front of the defender for a harmless foul ball. Pavin could not make any use of the extra life he was granted as he swung at Ball 4 way up and away on the next pitch to strike out.
- Merrill made a bit of a gamble and lost in the fifth after the Marlins 8-hitter reached on an error by Josh Naylor, dropping a strong throw across the diamond by Geraldo Perdomo. Kelly tried to erase the runner by picking him off, but he tried and failed 3 times, resulting in a balk. The odd thing about this with Merrill is his move is normally quite good, but it seemed like none of these attempts were all that close to getting him out.
- Merrill Kelly got into a bases loaded jam with 1 out in the fifth and he very nearly got out of it without allowing a run, but with 2 outs, he gave up a little squibber that traveled about 15 feet. Merrill really had no play anywhere, but he decided to try and throw to first but ended up throwing it into right field and 2 runs scored on the play. In the fourth, the Marlins had a batter reach on an error, a walk, and 2 infield singles resulting in 2 unearned runs.
- Jake McCarthy and Geraldo Perdomo tied up the game for the D-Backs in the 5th inning with 2 homers. Domo’s was a pool shot, making a perfect splash upon touchdown, but McCarthy’s was hit further, being measured at 415 feet!
- Kevin Ginkel came on in the 7th and struck out the side, but the pitch count by batter was fairly interesting. He needed 10 pitches to get the first strikeout, but then needed only 7 pitches to strike out the next to Marlins and return to the dugout.
- Alek Thomas’ solo homer in the 7th was double encouraging in the fact it was hit off a lefty. It was a beautiful, high-arcing bomb into the pool area measured at 410 ft. This was only his 4th career homer off a lefty and it is easily the furthest of those.
- The Marlins repaid the D-Backs in the 9th with a little suspect defense of their own. After a leadoff single, Alek Thomas chopped a grounder to the shortstop who definitely had a chance to get the lead runner at second, and possibly a double play, but he muffed the play and everyone reached safely. That set the stage for the nearly complete comeback.
Player of the Game
There was no clear best player on this night, but Geraldo Perdomo was easily the team leader in WPA and is deserving of a shout out. His one hit on the night was a 2 run pool shot that tied the game in the fifth, giving Merrill Kelly a new lease on the game (which he promptly squandered), and he also reached with 2 walks including the bases loaded walk for his third RBI of the night in the 9th. Domo seems to be heating up after his long cold spell over the last several weeks. We will certainly need more than just his leadership qualities if we’re going to continue to weather this injury storm.
Comment of the Game
A more subdued night in the GDT with a total of 236 comments at time of publishing. A few Sedona red to choose from. Would’ve preferred one referencing a Diamondbacks walkoff, but this use of onomatopoeia from Snake_Bitten was pretty great:
Coming Up
The Diamondbacks face the Marlins in the second game of this 10-game homestand tomorrow with a rare 1:10pm Saturday start time. Brandon Pfaadt gets the ball for the good guys tomorrow and he’ll be opposed by right-hander Sandy Alcantara who is 4-8 and has a 6.69 ERA.