D-Backs settle for split:
Arizona falls to Pittsburgh in extra innings to split the four-game series.
One of the blessings of going 16-11 in April – as the Diamondbacks did – is that it gives a team some wiggle room when it hits the inevitable rough patches of a season, like now.
The Diamondbacks’ 6-4, 10-inning loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates Sunday dropped their record in May to 5-7. They’ve gone five straight series without a series win and their record over that stretch is 6-9. Their last series win came April 24-27 when they took three of four from the San Diego Padres.
But because they built a bit of a cushion in May, they’re still three games over .500 (21-18) and in the thick of things in the National League West.
“We’re building things, we’re just not finishing it,” said manager Torey Lovullo. “We have to close out those moments. That’s why this game is so great. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I still think we’re in a very good position. We’re a very offensive team, we have runners on base all day long and I’ll take that.”
That offense may have taken a serious hit Sunday.
Center fielder A.J. Pollock left the game in the bottom of the 10th inning with a right groin injury that could place him on the 10-day disabled list and possibly sideline him for an extended period of time. Pollock pulled up as he ran to first after a single off Pittsburgh closer Tony Watson and then slammed his helmet to the ground when he got to first base.
“I was like feeling really bad (for him),” said right fielder David Peralta. “Hopefully it’s nothing really bad for him. We’ll see.”
Pollock was clearly frustrated after the game, giving clipped answers to reporters. He’s been down this road before. He injured his left groin last September, ending his season, and then re-injured the left groin in spring training. Asked several times how severe this injury might be, he repeatedly said, “Tomorrow,” in reference to an evaluation he’ll get from team medical personnel.
To make matters worse, Peralta left the game after striking out in the seventh inning with a right glute injury. Peralta said he didn’t think the injury was a “big deal” but Diamondbacks’ fans have to be thinking back to last season, when injuries to Pollock and Peralta were big factors in the team winning just 69 games.
“Last year was a season where this ball club missed those two players,” Lovullo said. “So they’re very important to us.”
If all that wasn’t bad enough, the Diamondbacks blew several late chances to win the game and take three of four from the Pirates.
Trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth, they loaded the bases with one out but Pollock hit into an inning-ending double play.
In the eighth inning, Paul Goldschmidt – who already had hit two homers, including a 453-foot bomb off the video board in center field that Lovullo called a “wow moment” – came up with the bases loaded and two outs but struck out looking against left-handed reliever Wade LeBlanc.
“It would have been nice to come through,” Goldschmidt said.
Then, with the game tied 4-4, Arizona had runners on first and second base with no outs in the ninth.
But Chris Herrmann popped up a bunt attempt and Nick Ahmed hit into a 6-4-3 double play.
The Diamondbacks were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left 15 runners on base.
“Tough way to lose a ballgame,” Lovullo said. “We fought hard all night long. We just couldn’t close the deal on a couple of key situations.”
Which is how 16-11 in April becomes 5-7 in May.