The Diamondbacks found themselves in another tight ballgame against the San Diego Padres. With a shorthanded bullpen, the team likely needed Brandon Pfaadt to have a deep start. However, that would not come to pass as the right-hander left the game with a left ankle contusion.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!With their starting pitcher now out in the fifth inning and needing to get another 17 outs to win the ballgame, it was going to be a tough night for manager Torey Lovullo and the coaching staff to get to the end of the game. Justin Martinez and Paul Sewald were unavailable for the game, limiting the number of late relief options. Sewald had pitched four times in the previous seven days and struggled to land pitches in his last outing. With two of their best three relievers out, the Diamondbacks didn’t have many options to turn to for late-game situations.
In a 2-1 game and runners on the corners, Lovullo went with his most trusted relief arm in Kevin Ginkel. Ginkel got the Diamondbacks out of the fifth with the lead intact, then retired the side in order for the sixth inning. However, they were now shorthanded for the final nine outs of the game and needed to make a 4-1 lead stick.
That meant they needed guys to step out of their comfort zone and get them some bit outs. Joe Mantiply faced more right-handed hitters than he was usually accustomed to seeing. Bryce Jarvis was asked to get big outs in the seventh and eighth inning. Ryan Thompson was the de facto closer for the night. Thyago Vieira was tasked with protecting a three-run lead in extra innings, then Humberto Castellanos to get the final two outs a night after throwing 31 pitches.
It wasn’t a smooth ride, but they did well enough to get the team across the finish line in a 7-5, extra inning win. Mantiply and Thompson particularly struggled in this game, the former allowing two runs on a parade of infield hits and the latter blowing a 4-3 lead in the eighth. However, the Diamondbacks were able to put up a three spot in the top of the 10th to give themselves a nice cushion. It was a rocky bottom half, as the first four Padres reached base, but they retired the final three hitters. Castellanos recorded his first save at the end of the madness.
While it doesn’t look great on the scoreboard, with the relief unit allowing four runs in 5 2/3 innings, it could serve as a confidence-boosting game for the Diamondbacks.
Brandon Pfaadt exits start vs. Padres with left ankle contusion
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
