The Diamondbacks are nothing if not consistent. Unfortunately, D-Backs fans would perhaps prefer a different sort of consistency. The Snakes scored 1 run for the 4th game in a row have gone hitless with RISP for just as many games. This is their longest streak of RISP ineptitude this season, breaking a tie with 2 other streaks of 3 games.
The offense felt like they were a step behind Houston starter Cristian Javier from the jump and they never could climb out of the hole. The team struck out 13 times, blowing away their previous season high of 8 Ks in a single game, but they also drew 7 walks which is their new season high in that metric. To be honest, though, it didn't feel like the walks were great at bats by the hitters. They weren't battling in the box and taking close pitches or fouling off a bunch of balls in the shadow zone, the D-Backs were simply not swinging at pitches way out of the strike zone on those particular plate appearances.
Gabriel Moreno was the top offensive contributor on the night, with a pair of walks and homer on his box score, but he also had the most negative plays if WPA actually calculated events outside the batter's box. Gabi's whiff on a throw home from Max Kepler that would have prevented the third Astros run from scoring was the first blemish on his night and then an absolutely epic TOOTBLAN put a nice bow on his Jekyll and Hyde evening.
The pitching staff did well again, but not well enough to let a single run by the offense stand up. Merrill had one rough inning, but other than that was almost completely spotless. Outside of the 3-run third, Merrill didn't allow an Astro to reach 2nd base. The bullpen did well, too, with JMart looking awesome outside of his incredibly poor ABS challenge. Martinez averaged over 102mph on his Sinker and 4-seamer! Merrill's second straight good start is key if this is what we can expect down the stretch. Hopefully his month-on-month-off season continues through September.
Geraldo Perdomo made a slick play at short to record the first out of the game for Merrill Kelly. The Astros speedy leadoff hitter hit a chopper to short and Gerry made an excellent backhand on a short hop before gathering and firing quickly to first for the out.
Ketel's first action at 2B since returning from the Restricted & Injured Lists was a little shaky. Ketel fielded the ball on the far side of second base, planted and threw but the ball went several feet to the home plate side of first base. Fortunately the Astros hitter wasn't hustling up the line and Tim Tawa could cooly apply the tag to record the out.
Perdomo got a 2-out walk in the 3rd and then stole second. His jump didn't appear to be too great but the throw to second was way short and the fielder opted to come up to catch the ball rather than wait on the hop.
Merrill Kelly gave up a homer to Yainer Diaz to lead off the 3rd on a hanging slider that was in the middle of the strike zone. Diaz blasted it at 100mph EV into the Crawford Boxes.
Merrill have up an RBI double to Isaac Paredes in the 3rd that landed within a foot of the left field foul pole. Really close to being nothing more than a strike, but even if it was foul, there was a definite them of hard contact against Merrill in the 3rd: 101, 100, 69, 102 were the EVs to start the inning. The 69mph hit belonged to Yordan Alvarez. Go figure.
Jose Altuve was credited with a sac fly in the third, but it was very nearly an inning-ending double play. Altuve popped it into shallow left right along the left field line by the wall and the stands, a pretty tricky spot. Kepler made a running, shoe string catch then threw home as Yordan Alvarez tagged and went for home. Kepler's throw bounced a couple times but it was on target and well ahead of the runner, but Gabi whiffed the catch and Alvarez slid home safely for a 3-0 lead.
Gabi got that run back that he allowed with his whiff of Kepler's throw home when he tattooed high cutter into the Crawford Boxes for a leadoff homer in the 4th. Exit velocity was, to this point, a game high 105.1.
The D-backs young players have seemed very hesitant to challenge, but Waldy broke the trend, at least for now, by challenging a called strike 3 that was actually off the outside corner. Unfortunately, it only flipped the box score from ꓘ to K as he struck out swinging on a pitch even further outside the strike zone a couple pitches later.
Ketel Marte's double in the 6th was about the luckiest double this he'll have this year. A high pop up into shallow left field (almost exactly where Altuve hit his sac fly to Kepler earlier in the night) land just inside the fair line as the left fielder overran it and then had to reach back and whiffed the catch. The ball then bounced high into the air and landed in the stands along the left field line for a ground-rule double.
The Astros catcher whiffed on both his challenges, giving Houston a rare (to my understanding) ofer in the challenge department.
Justin Martinez foolishly challenged a pitch in the 7th. The official ruling confirmed the ball landed more than 3" off the plate inside. Yikes.
Gabi got a leadoff walk in the 8th, then advanced to second on a wild pitch. They gifted the DBacks a runner in scoring position and Gabi threw it away with a horrible TOOTBLAN. Ketel hit a grounder up the middle between Gabi's secondary lead and second base. Gabi froze, then decided to try and run back toward second. The Astros SS charged and fielded the grounder and made the quick tag of Gabi before throwing to first to complete the double play. TOOTBLANs are inherently ridiculous (getting out like a nincompoop is ridiculous) but that version was way more nincompoopish than what is standard.
A fairly average showing tonight in the GameDay Thread with a total of 271 comments at time of publishing. Only a single comment crossed into Sedona Red territory and that was a greeting rather than commentary on the game so no COTG winner this evening.
The Diamondbacks face the 'Stros tomorrow at 4:15pm televised nationally on FOX. Brandon Pfaadt (7-2, 3.49 ERA) will get the ball for the good guys and young right-hander Ethan Pecko (1-0, 6.23 ERA) will get the ball for Houston.
Cubs beat the Marlins to keep the Fish 3 games back of AZ.
Padres are tied with Yankees 1-1 at home after 7 innings. Currently tied with AZ pending the results of their game.
Cardinals won in Colorado 7-6. They are very much back in the hunt at 3 games behind AZ.
