AZ rotation: 39 IP, 67 H, 48 ER, 24 BB, 33 SO, 11.08 ERA
It was enough to compel manager Torey to have a meeting<\/a> \u2013 unusually, with the entire group \u2013 when the team was in Chicago<\/a>. \u201cI let them know what was on my mind,\u201d Lovullo said \u2013 adding ominously, \u201cIt was a one-way conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Well, whatever he said, I hope it\u2019s available in a format suitable for framing. Because it\u2019s as if the talent switch was flicked in their brains, to the ON position. Tonight was just the latest example, Michael Soroka<\/a> tossing 6.1 scoreless innings as the D-backs battled their way to the second 1-0 win of the season (the first being on April 1 against Detroit<\/a>). That\u2019s now seven starts in a row where the starter has gone six-plus innings, and in all but one of those, they have also allowed one or zero runs. The total numbers across this period: I guess it\u2019s kinda galling that the team is only 4-3 in that time, because the offense has been as limp and flaccid as\u2026 [looks over shoulder at SB Nation\u2019s Standards and Practices department] a limp, flaccid thing. But on the other hand, we\u2019re at the quarter-mark on the season, and the team has already picked up four wins where they scored two runs or fewer. They only had five such victories in all of 2025, and just two in 2024. For what it\u2019s worth, the Diamondbacks are also 12-1 when scoring more than five runs. We know what a problem that was last season: Arizona was only 4-3 when scoring 11+ runs in 2025.<\/p>\n What this all means, I don\u2019t really know. It certainly makes for exciting baseball, when every swing of the bat could result in a lead change. It also makes for quick games, which the recapper welcomes. This one lasted only 2:21, and it would have been less except for Texas<\/a> making every single one of their pitching changes in the middle of an inning. And there were a few, despite the score. Planned starter Nathan Eovaldi<\/a> was scratched, and so the Rangers had to go with a bullpen game. Probably less an issue for them than most teams, considering they came in with an MLB-best 2.80 ERA, close to half a run better than anyone else.<\/p>\n The late change in plans didn\u2019t seem to bother Arizona. Three batters in, they took a 1-0 lead, Geraldo Perdomo<\/a> following up Corbin Carroll<\/a>\u2019s double, with one of his own. Little did we know that it would be the last time either side would cross home plate. Indeed, scoring opportunities in general would be few and far between. The best probably came to the D-backs in the eighth. With one out, Ketel Marte<\/a> doubled, Carroll walked, and Perdomo singled to left, loading the bases. But Jose Fernandez went down swinging (he\u2019s now 3-for-26 since April 26th, with nine strikeouts) and Ildemaro Vargas<\/a> (5-for-36 since briefly brushing .400) grounded out.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n View Link<\/a><\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Rangers only had three at-bats with a runner in scoring position. All of them came in the bottom of the opening frame. Marte booted what should have been an double-play, after the first two Rangers singled off Soroka. He still got the hitter at first, so it won\u2019t go down as an error. But it meant Texas had men on second and third with one out, rather than just third with two outs. Fortunately, Soroka got out of the jam, helped by a key strikeout of Josh Jung<\/a>, and was never trouble thereafter. Arizona was helped by some key plays on defense: Gabriel Moreno<\/a> nailed a SB attempt, Ryan Waldschmidt had a fine catch in center (above), and Taylor Clarke<\/a> picked a runner off first.<\/p>\n Soroka seemed to get better as he went on. He retired 11 batters in a row before allowing a lead-off single in the sixth, and was remarkably efficient with it. After needing 23 pitches in the first, thanks in part to Marte, his pitch counts for the next four innings were 13, 12, 6 and 8. Soroka did need 24 pitches for the sixth, and that might be why he was pulled with one out in the seventh. He was at 89 pitches, which is about his average. It\u2019s worth noting that while he did go over 100 against the White Sox<\/a>, his next time out was far and away his worst start of the year. So this might have been Lovullo playing the long game, ensuring Michael isn\u2019t overtaxed.<\/p>\n The bullpen did it\u2019s duty, with Brandyn Garcia<\/a> finishing the seventh, Clarke working the eighth, and Paul Sewald<\/a> notching his ninth save. He\u2019s our first closer since Brad Boxberger<\/a> in 2018 to reach that number of saves in the first 40 games. That did involve him facing Corey Seager<\/a> with two outs. Of course, we all remember Game 1 of the 2023 World Series, where Seager hit a game-tying 2-run homer off Sewald, Texas winning in extra innings. Tonight though, Sewald hit Seager instead, on the ankle. While that brought the winning run to the plate, a harmless fly-ball ended the game, and the D-backs were back to .500 again.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n You\u2019ll have noticed the offense is notable by its absence from this recap. That\u2019s because the offense were, again, notable by their absence. They could muster only six hits and two walks. Nolan Arenado<\/a> doubled and singled, as did Perdomo, while Carroll drew both walks in addition to his double. But in the end, they did just enough to secure victory.<\/p>\n Click here<\/a> for details, at Fangraphs.com A bright and energetic Gameday Thread, passing 300 comments without difficulty. If we were still playing the Mets<\/a>, I\u2019d continue the musical theme and nominate Dan\u2019s version of Money For Nothing<\/a>. But that joke\u2019s time has passed and it\u2019s too big to screen-cap. \ud83d\ude42 So, instead, I\u2019ll give it to the very Dan-adjacent TheRealRamona:<\/p>\n
AZ rotation: 47.2 IP, 27 H, 8 ER, 15 BB, 40 SO, 1.51 ERA<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1969cde459b6828a1e9ac78b644d8c7a.jpeg\"\/)
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I Feel Love: Michael Soroka, +44%
He Works Hard for The Money: Sewald, +19%; Clarke, +14%; Perdomo, +11%
Macarthur Park: Ildemaro Vargas, -14%<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/092c48e6e664115dcf72022cc8be3820.jpeg\"\/)
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