Dropping their 3rd straight game, and falling four games below .500, the Diamondbacks suffered a 9-4 loss in their series opener against the Oakland A’s as Arizona’s bullpen allowed six runs in the final two innings.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Postgame, Torey Lovullo started with the good news, noting that Zac Gallen will finally return to the mound for the first time since May 30th.
However, that was about all the positive news Lovullo had to share.
Lovullo particularly focused on the “certain levels of frustration,” stating, “We gotta cycle through those moments and find a way to keep pushing forward no matter what’s in front of you.”
Regarding teams like the A’s, who hold the second-worst record in the American League, Lovullo addressed the mindset needed when playing against a struggling team, noting, “This is a game that you cannot ever assume anything, and I don’t think our team did, we were hungry, we fought, we stayed in the game, we had some tough breaks, we had some things that did not go our way, we were in a lead with our two best relievers still available, and we just got beat.”
While the offense struggled after a two-run first inning, Lovullo focused on the pitching, saying, “Fourteen hits, three walks, seventeen baserunners—you just gotta pitch better. We gotta pitch better than that. That to me is the bottom line.”
Ryan Thompson and Brandon Hughes allowed a total of four home runs in the final two innings. Thompson’s outing was particularly unusual. Entering the night, he had allowed just two home runs all season, but by the time he exited with three earned runs to his name, his ERA had increased from 1.13 to 1.89.
Lovullo ended by giving some well-deserved praise to the A’s, who, at the end of the day, had no problem hitting some of the Diamondbacks’ most reliable bullpen arms. He stated, “That’s a well-run team. They got a good manager and young players who are very enthusiastic. You just gotta find a way to win today.”
As for tomorrow, Lovullo mentioned that the mentality is to go “1-0,” continuing with, “I’m going to do everything that I can to help this team be as ready as possible to win game two, and that’s it, that’s all I am going to be thinking about.”
First pitch for tomorrow’s game is at 1:10 pm.
