THURSDAY: DODGERS 6, DIAMONDBACKS 3 Arizona drops its home opener
After yet another night in which the Diamondbacks’ lineup failed to produce, left fielder David Peralta summed up the situation – and the urgency – facing a slumping hitter in an abbreviated season.
“I have to figure
“We’ve got no time.”
The season is one week old and the Diamondbacks are 2-5. They lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday by a score of 6-3, their home opener spoiled by another rough outing from Robbie Ray and another vanishing act by the offense.
A bad start – by a hitter, a pitcher, a team, whatever it may be – always creates cause for concern, but it tends to be leavened by the reality of what lies ahead: a long, slog of a year that offers nothing but time for adjustments and corrections.
This year, of course, is different. The season is just 60 games. It is a length that seems like a petri dish for chaos, inviting aggressiveness, urgency and panic from its participants.
In the sixth inning on Thursday night, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo pinch hit for Peralta, one of the club’s more proven hitters, in a key situation against a left-handed reliever.
It showed aggressiveness. It showed urgency. As for panic, well, Lovullo has said repeatedly he would manage games differently this season. And hitting for Peralta was definitely different. In this case, it did not work out.
On Thursday, Peralta’s spot came up with one out and a runner on second in a 6-2 game. With Dodgers lefty Adam Kolarek on the mound, Lovullo brought Peralta back and sent up Ildemaro Vargas instead.
Vargas popped out to the pitcher. Lovullo has made a handful of similarly out-of-character moves already this season. He hit for Carson Kelly in San Diego. He quickly moved Peralta out of the two-hole. He has hit for Jake Lamb multiple times with a lefty on the mound, including Thursday night.
Lovullo seems to be trying to toe the line between showing trust and stability and being aggressive and proactive.
“I want to let these guys know that I believe in them,” Lovullo said.
Ray turned in a second consecutive ugly outing. He gave up five runs in 4 2/3 innings, issuing six walks and serving up a pair of homers.
it
out,” he
said.