Record: 80-74. Pace: 84-78. Change on 2025: +3.
Is it too late to bring Angry Orchard on as an official SnakePit sponsor? In sharp contrast to last Friday night cider-cap, where we blasted the Rangers 9-1, tonight was an exercise in Charles Bukowski-esque cirrhosis. By the time the first inning was over, the sky had fallen right through the leaking roof of Chase Field. The Yankees didn’t even have to swing hard to start the bleeding. Walks, a passed ball, and a cheap little bloop single. Then George Lombard Jr. cracked a two-run single into the grass, and the scoreboard already read 5-0. It was ugly, the kind of early wreck that makes a recapper want to reach into the fridge for something that burns going down.
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Eduardo Rodriguez’s struggles in the first inning had been a matter of record, even before tonight. He came in with a first-inning ERA of 6.60, and facing nine batters over the course of a 45-pitch first inning was no help in that area. He was getting ahead of batters, but proved almost clinically unable to put them away. Instead, the Yankees kept on reaching base. A walk to some Goldschmidt guy. A single. Two more walks. Another single. By the time Rodriguez recorded his first out, it was with his 32nd pitch of the inning. There was still time for a wild pitch and two-RBI single, before Eduardo finished striking out the side. Can’t be many innings involving five runs and three strikeouts.
Fast forward to the sixth inning, and E-Rod was somehow still out there. He had staunched the bleeding, but allowed a pair of solo home-runs. One in the third, and one in the sixth, finally ending his night. The line: seven runs, all earned, in 5.1 innings, on five hits and four walks, with five strikeouts. It was the ninth time this year a Diamondback has been charged with seven or more earned runs in an outing, the most for the team since 2016. First time since June 20th though, when somehow we had two pitchers (Zac Gallen and Yilber Diaz) do it in the same game. But the D-backs’ rotation has struggled in September. They are now 1-6 in fifteen starts, with an ERA of 4.80.
After a brief cameo by Taylor Clarke in the sixth, we got to see Zac Gallen make his first appearance out of the bullpen, since the opening three appearances of his professional career, back in 2016 for the rookie league Cardinals. He wasn’t helped by his defense, with errors by Nolan Arenado and Pavin Smith. Though, to be fair, the latter E could probably have gone to Gallen. He seemed surprised to discover that, if you run over to cover first, somebody might throw the ball to you. He ended up allowing two runs, one unearned, over three innings, on two hits and two walks with two K’s. So our most expensive mop-up guy since Jordan Montgomery did at least save the bullpen.
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There was a brief flurry of interest in the second inning when Corbin Carroll hit his 22nd home-run of the year (above). That narrowed the gap to 5-2 due to the presence of Geraldo Perdomo on base after a single. But the Diamondbacks wouldn’t actually get an at-bat with a runner in scoring position until the seventh inning. Arenado singled, and Carroll got his second hit, with a hustle double. Of course, pinch-hitter Jose Fernandez struck out, wasting a challenge in the process, and Tim Tawa also K’d. Two other at-bats with RISP in the ninth proved equally unproductive, but going 0-for-4 there tonight was hardly the cause of this defeat.
It was really more to do with Arizona pitchers issuing six walks, four of which came round to score for New York. Meanwhile, our hitters drew just one walk, while striking out eleven times. Perdomo, Arenado and Carroll each had two-hit games, the first-named also getting the only base on balls. Carroll was dropped to seventh in the order tonight. It’s the first time Corbin has started a game that low in the order for over two years (August 29, 2024). Perhaps there’s hope though, since he’s now batting .256 over his last ten games. This is a distinct improvement over the .081 BA in the ten prior to that. Too late for this year, but always good to finish strong.
The Padres won again, because of course they did. They are now in a three-way tie with the Cubs and Phillies, This would be tremendously exciting, if it weren’t for the fact that all that’s really to be decided are the seeding positions for the wild-card spots, because the D-backs are now five games back, with eight to play. Though I do note that the Cubs and Phillies possess worse records in September than the D-backs, both having gone 7-9, compared to Arizona’s 7-8. So are they “choking” as well? Or does that not count? Anyway, the Padres are 12-4, enjoying their own version of 2007’s Rocktober. Pet-tember? I dunno. Figure it out yourself.
Click for details at Fangraphs
He drinks a cider drink: Corbin Carroll, +10%
Pissin’ the night away: Eduardo Rodriguez, -38%
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Yeah, not exactly the way I’d choose to finish my recaps for 2026, a game where our Win Probability was already down to 12% before the second out was recorded. But, hey, them’s the breaks. The killer hippo film will still be there tomorrow, I imagine. Thanks to those who stuck it out in the Gameday Thread. Not exactly a happy one, but there you go. Comment of the night to Justin27, who came up from Tucson with his best friend and her two kids, who got to see their first game at Chase. A salutary reminder, that even the darkest cloud has a silver lining somewhere.
Same two teams tomorrow, with a special celebration to honor the 2001 World Series team. Brandon Pfaadt starts for the D-backs, with a slightly earlier first pitch of 5:10 pm, Arizona time. See you for that. Killer hippos permitting, anyway…
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