Right-hander Zac Gallen served up two costly homers, and five Cleveland Guardians pitchers combined to shut down the Diamondbacks’ offense, handing them a 3-1 loss on Monday night, Aug. 18, at Chase Field.
C.J. Kayfus and Brayan Rocchio each homered off Gallen — Kayfus with a solo shot in the second, Rocchio a two-run shot in the fifth — spoiling an otherwise sharp performance.
“It’s kind of one of those sour ones,” Gallen said. “Eighty-eight or 85 pitches I threw pretty well and then two pitches decided the game in the end.”
Gallen threw 91 pitches over six innings, registering his third quality start in his past four. In those four starts, he has logged a 3.52 ERA in 23 innings.
“Obviously, with how it had been the first three, four months, I’m kind of trending in the right direction,” he said. “I don’t feel like I’m 100 percent myself yet. For the ones that have ended the way they have, it’s a good step in the right direction.
“But still have to execute a little better and turn those three runs into one run.”
Said manager Torey Lovullo: “On a day where we score six runs, we’re talking about how good Zac pitched. I want to make sure we acknowledge he went out there and did his job and kept us in the game.”
The Diamondbacks had a handful of scoring opportunities in which they came up empty. They put two runners aboard in the first, sixth and eighth innings but went a combined 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position in those situations.
Lovullo sent up consecutive right-handed bats as pinch hitters in the sixth, but Tyler Locklear (strikeout) and Ildemaro Vargas (fielder’s choice groundout) were unable to deliver against Guardians lefty Erik Sabrowski.
The Diamondbacks finally pushed across a run in the ninth against Guardians closer Cade Smith, getting a run-scoring triple from Geraldo Perdomo. That brought the tying run to the plate, but Smith struck out Ketel Marte to end the game.
Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams worked 5 1/3 scoreless innings, walking one and striking out five.
With one out in the second, Gallen fell behind Kayfus, 2-1, and left a cutter over the heart of the plate. Kayfus laced it into the seats in right-center field.
Kayfus grounded a single through the right side in his next at-bat in the fifth, and two batters later, Rocchio hammered a Gallen breaking ball out to right to make it a 3-0 lead.
The game was played in front of just 16,815, the second-smallest crowd at Chase Field this season.
—Nick Piecoro
Ketel Marte insists everything OK with teammates
Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte said he was grateful for the support of teammate Geraldo Perdomo as Marte spoke before the team’s game Monday, Aug. 18, at Chase Field.
He also said everything is fine between him and his teammates, and, having been with the team for nine seasons, he knows who he is, and everyone who knows him knows he is a good teammate through the good and bad times.
“It doesn’t matter if I get criticism,” Marte said in Spanish. “While they criticize me, I just keep putting in work.”
Marte fielded questions from a large group of media members in the Diamondbacks clubhouse a day after Perdomo interrupted manager Torey Lovullo’s postgame interview session in Colorado and asked that Marte be left alone to focus on baseball.
Perdomo’s widely viewed comments came the same day as a USA TODAY report that the Diamondbacks appear willing to listen to trade offers for Marte, given the frustration he has caused teammates and people in the organization for his time-off requests.
“My goal is to play ball, to help the team win,” Marte said. “That’s what I’ve been trying to do here since I got here nine years ago.
“I’ve given everything to this city, this organization, my manager, the whole world. I just want people to leave me in peace to play ball.”
Marte said he doesn’t feel like he’s taken too many days off. He has at times requested and been given days off to rest his body and stay fresh, and also asked for time off after his home was burglarized during the All-Star Game last month.
Marte chose to use the added downtime to return to his native Dominican Republic, and missed a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals in which the Diamondbacks swept.
“I had an injury. Everyone knows I’ve had problems with my hamstring,” Marte said. “The manager and I communicated well and we’ve tried to put together the best plan for me to stay healthy for the entire season.”
Lovullo has often backed up those comments, several times this season explaining why Marte might not be available or why he needs a day off here and there.
“If it was up to me, I’d play 162 games,” Marte said. “But I know that my body won’t let me. What I try to do is rest as much as I can so I don’t have to take as much time off.”
Marte said he’d planned to be back with the team the Thursday after the All-Star Game, and apologized for not following through on those plans and instead choosing to deal with the home invasion from afar in the Dominican Republic.
Marte has had a productive season as a player, but has had to deal with some difficult situations.
Earlier this season, he couldn’t hide his emotions when a fan in Chicago shouted things about his deceased mother. Then came the robbery of his home, from where he said some $400,000 worth of valuables were stolen, and most recently, the reports about him irking his teammates and what could come from that.
“I feel good, I feel just fine, thank God,” Marte said. “I’m a strong person, I’m a warrior. Things have happened, but I stay the same. I’m a prepared person, and to me, it doesn’t matter what people on the outside say. What’s important is I get along with my teammates, my brothers and everyone here. The last thing I want to say is I want to stay here for good.”
Marte said he feels his relationship with general manager Mike Hazen is strong and that the front office understands him. He feels he’s never had a problem with anyone.
Lovullo said he was proud of Marte for making public comments to media members.
“That’s not easy for him to do and I know he showed some vulnerability,” Lovullo said. “What I will say about Ketel are things that I know. He’s a great teammate, he’s a great young man, he goes out there and plays hard every single day for the Arizona Diamondbacks. And he just wants to win baseball games. That’s it.”
-José M. Romero
Smith, Vargas reinstated; Moreno nearing return
First baseman Pavin Smith and infielder Ildemaro Vargas were reinstated from the injured list on Monday, Aug. 18, and catcher Gabriel Moreno is pointing toward a return later in the week.
Manager Torey Lovullo said Smith will get the bulk of the at-bats against right-handed pitching at first base, pushing rookie Tyler Locklear into more of a platoon role.
Lovullo said he also told Locklear to be ready for mid-game pinch-hit opportunities against lefties.
Prior to the series opener against the Guardians, Locklear had started every game at first base since the Diamondbacks acquired him from the Seattle Mariners in the Eugenio Suarez trade, going 12 for 60 (.200) with two homers.
To clear room, the Diamondbacks optioned outfielder Jorge Barrosa and infielder Connor Kaiser to Triple-A Reno.
Moreno, who has played four games on a rehab assignment with Reno, is likely to start back-to-back games behind the plate for the first time on Aug. 19 and Aug. 20. That puts him on target to return from the injured list in time for this weekend’s series opener against the Cincinnati Reds.
Lovullo intimated that Moreno could then start the first two games of the series vs. the Reds before taking the finale off.
—Nick Piecoro
Coming up
Tuesday, Aug. 19: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (5-7, 5.40) vs. Guardians RHP Tanner Bibee (9-9, 4.54).
Wednesday, Aug. 20: At Chase Field, 12:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (12-8, 5.08) vs. Guardians LHP Joey Cantillo (3-3, 3.93).
Thursday, Aug. 21: Off day
Friday, Aug. 22: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Ryne Nelson (6-3, 3.58) vs. Reds TBA.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)