Diamondbacks right-hander Brandon Pfaadt’s afternoon threatened to go off the rails at various points on Sunday, situations that felt similar to others he has encountered this season. In those games, Pfaadt would dominate for several innings, only to have a brief stretch spoil his good work.
That is not what happened against the Oakland Athletics. Each time Pfaadt found himself in a tight spot, he worked his way out of it, keeping things close and buying time for his offense to deliver what would become a 5-1 win at Chase Field.
The Diamondbacks have not necessarily been able to bank on dominance from Pfaadt in his first full season as a big-league starter. But they have been able to count on something else, something nearly as valuable, particularly given the rotation’s struggles in recent weeks.
“I’m looking for him every fifth day because I know (you can) book six innings,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “It’s happening.”
For the past couple of months, Pfaadt has been remarkably consistent innings-eater, working at least six innings in 11 of his past 12 starts and 13 of 17 overall. Only three pitchers in the National League — the Giants’ Logan Webb (112 1/3 innings) and the Phillies’ Aaron Nola (107 2/3) and Zack Wheeler (105 2/3) — have logged more innings than Pfaadt’s 103. Pfaadt went six again on Sunday, giving up just one run while striking out eight.
“I think that’s my overall goal is to pitch six innings plus every game, every time I go out there,” Pfaadt said. “I think being aggressive, getting ahead with first-pitch strikes, first two out of three (pitches in an at-bat), I think if I’m doing that, then I can go deeper into games regardless of the results.”
For a Diamondbacks team that has seen its rotation battered by injuries and struggle to get deep into games, Pfaadt has been a lifesaver. Lovullo was asked where his team would be without him.
“Hard to say,” Lovullo said. “He’s been an anchor for us. A real credit to him. You go back 12 months ago and we were bouncing him, right around this time, between player development and here in Arizona. He kept taking things in stride and improving.”
Five days ago, Pfaadt rolled into the seventh inning having given up just one run. A walk, a single and a homer later, he was out of the game, the lead gone, his pitching line tainted. The speed with which an outing has gone south for Pfaadt has been a talking point around the club, and Lovullo pointed to multiple mound visits that might have helped keep things on track on Sunday.
After the Athletics’ Zack Gelof homered to start the fifth, Pfaadt allowed a soft single and a walk to the next two batters, but a double-play grounder and a fly out allowed him to escape further damage. Pfaadt’s ability to minimized his struggles helped him come away with a win.
“Instead of being four batters deep, it was only two batters,” Lovullo said. “That was a pivotal moment in this game.”
The Diamondbacks moved in front two innings later, getting a pinch-hit, two-run single from Blaze Alexander and another run-scoring hit from Christian Walker, a rally set up by a double from Corbin Carroll.
Lovullo put the victory in a proverbial bucket he has been mentioning often in recent weeks, calling it a “midseason must-win” game. Not only did they manage not to lose a series to a bad A’s team, they also gave themselves a little more of a cushion in the event their upcoming road trip through Los Angeles and San Diego does not go as they hope.
Of course, they are hoping this is the beginning of the sort of run they have been trying to get on for most of the season.
“This could set the tone for us going into the All-Star break,” Pfaadt said. “I think if we take care of business on this road trip and when we come back home, it’ll set the momentum for after All-Star break, for sure.”
Zac Gallen going ‘full throttle’ into All-Star break
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said right-hander Zac Gallen will pitch Thursday at Dodger Stadium, an adjustment in the pitching schedule that will allow Gallen to make three more starts before the All-Star break.
“We want to get Zac on every fifth day,” Lovullo said. “He was really pounding the table to get as many starts as he possibly could prior to the break, so we’re going to full throttle him. We’re going to go every fifth day with Zac.”
The adjustment means that right-hander Slade Cecconi will have his next start bumped into the San Diego Padres series at Petco Park.
Gallen returned from the injured list Saturday after missing a month due to a strained right hamstring. He turned in a dazzling performance, giving up just one hit and one walk over six scoreless innings in a 3-0 win against the Oakland Athletics.
Gabriel Moreno, Alek Thomas injury updates
Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno caught five innings and had three plate appearances in an Arizona Complex League game Saturday, lining him up to potentially return from the injured list this week.
Lovullo said Moreno “reported feeling very good” after his game action Saturday. Moreno went 1 for 2 with a double and a walk in his three trips to the plate.
Moreno has been on the injured list since June 22 after his thumb was jammed on a foul ball that hit off his catcher’s glove.
Center fielder Alek Thomas played at Triple-A Reno Saturday for the fourth time in five days, continuing his rehab assignment.
Lovullo said Thomas asked to play at least another game with Reno, telling Lovullo the thinking was “more about his body and him getting in tune with where he’s at with his body,” the manager said.
Right-hander Miguel Castro, who has been out since April 20 due to shoulder inflammation, threw in the same rookie-ball game in which Moreno played. He turned in two scoreless innings, allowing one hit, walking none and striking out four.
Coming up
Monday:Off.
Tuesday:At Los Angeles, 7:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Ryne Nelson (5-6, 5.69) vs. Dodgers RHP Bobby Miller (1-1, 6.75).
Wednesday:At Los Angeles, 7:10 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Jordan Montgomery (6-5, 6.03) vs. Dodgers RHP Gavin Stone (9-2, 2.73).
Thursday:At Los Angeles, 6:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (6-4, 2.83) vs. Dodgers RHP Landon Knack (1-1, 2.08).
