SAN FRANCISCO — The Arizona Diamondbacks concluded their stretch of 16 games in 16 days against the best teams in the National League with a series-sealing victory over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday, 8-7, at Oracle Park.
It did not come easy, not when the Diamondbacks took an 8-2 lead nor when Shelby Miller entered the ninth inning with a two-run buffer.
Miller, after walking in a run to bring the Giants within one, drew a Christian Koss flare and it was caught for the final out of the series.
Ketel Marte hit two home runs before exiting due to stiffness, Eugenio Suarez homered and the D-backs tallied 13 hits. And yet, they stopped scoring after the fourth inning, while the Giants kept coming.
D-backs starter Eduardo Rodriguez’s command issues continued as he lasted only four innings and allowed four runs. A two-run shot by Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee off Ryne Nelson in the seventh tightened the gap.
The eighth inning got a bit strange.
Koss was tagged out on the bases to end the inning after running into Jordan Lawlar — who entered for Marte — and hitting the deck. The umpires called obstruction on Lawlar after convening, and D-backs manager Torey Lovullo was ejected for arguing. He then pointed at each umpire and told them they were ejected!
The final out came with a collective sigh, as the D-backs managed an 8-8 record in these 16 games with an off day on Thursday. Now comes a series against the humiliatingly bad Colorado Rockies starting on Friday.
“We lost our momentum and they kept striking, but we held on, and I’m really proud of how we won this game today,” Lovullo said.
Diamondbacks get through toughest stretch
The D-backs (23-21) in this stretch played the New York Mets (road), Philadelphia Phillies (road), Mets again (home), Los Angeles Dodgers (home) and Giants (road). If the postseason started today, those teams would all be in.
They won the first series in New York and the final set in San Francisco with a four-game split against the Dodgers in between. The D-backs never won two games in a row but they only lost two straight once in Philadelphia.
The feeling in the clubhouse was mostly positive with an understanding a lot has to continue improving, the mood undoubtedly helped by a dramatic win as opposed to a dreadful loss.
“ I feel like we played decent,” shortstop Geraldo Perdomo said of the 16 games. “A lot of stuff going on with the pitchers, some with the hitters. We’re gonna find a way to go back to winning a lot more games in a row.”
“Some tough losses mixed in there,” Miller said. “Probably the toughest stretch we’ll have all year. … We’ve been playing quality baseball, still room for improvement. I know the bullpen, we want to do a better job securing wins. Defensively, offensively, once we all click, we’re gonna be a tough team to be beat.”
Their last 12 games have gone: L, W, L, W, L, W, L, W, L, W, L, W.
“ We feel like with the pitching we have, starting pitching we have, we should be able to run off a string of games,” Lovullo said.
“I know we’ve had a tough schedule. I know we’ve had some tough travels. I don’t care. I think we’re a good baseball team. We can win baseball games no matter who we’re playing. I think at the end of the day, just placing what you think needs to be done aside and just doing your job should be our main focus and fitting in the way you’re supposed to fit in.”
Their performances were inconsistent, proving they can play with anyone while at the same time losing games they shouldn’t have.
A 14-11 loss after the team came back from down five runs and took an 11-8 lead against L.A. stands out, along with a blown lead in Philadelphia after Merrill Kelly left his gem due to cramping.
Corbin Burnes missed a start in this span due to shoulder inflammation and came back and tossed his best outing of the year against the Dodgers last weekend with seven shutout frames. Zac Gallen threw back-to-back terrific starts against the Mets, and Kelly was great throughout this stretch with two cramp-free starts to cap it off.
The D-backs played without their two best relievers in Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk, and the bullpen really struggled to hold scores where they stood. The starting pitcher ERA was 4.54 with a struggling Rodriguez (21 ER in 16 IP), while the bullpen’s was 6.22.
The offense scored 72 runs in the six games (4.5 per contest), helped by a pair of 11-run performances. Corbin Carroll went on a power trip in San Francisco with three home runs. He is second to Kyle Schwarber in the NL for home runs (14). Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has found his stroke during this gauntlet (.317, 9 XBH).
“We’re gonna find our way,” Lovullo said. “It’s just the consistency of the games played. The under-the-hood type of stuff is what we gotta do better. It might not be noticeable to many fans, but it is to us as coaches, and we gotta tighten that up.”
Diamondbacks’ next game
The D-backs and Rockies begin their slate at 6:40 p.m. on Friday night at Chase Field. Burnes will start for the Diamondbacks, while Colorado’s probable is listed as TBA.
Gallen and Kelly will round out the weekend rotation for Arizona, while Colorado will turn to veteran German Marquez and rookie Chase Dollander.
After that, the D-backs head back to California for three games at Dodger Stadium.
Listen to Game 1 of Diamondbacks-Rockies on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app. First pitch is at 6:40 p.m.
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