Arizona Diamondbacks 2, Miami Marlins 3: Floundering

Last time I visited you the Diamondbacks had won two games in a row for the first time in the 2023 season. Things seemed to be on the upswing as the team went on an even longer win streak, but now a weak later they have now dropped two in a row for the first time. Last night Madison Bumgarner didn’t really give the team a chance. Today, Ryne Nelson did but the offense could not support his respectable outing.

Arizona did plate a run in the first inning, but wouldn’t see their second and final run cross the plate until the seventh inning, In the first, Ketel Marte was hit with the fourth pitch of the game but remained in the game. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. doubled Marte to third with one out, and Christian walker brought him in on a sacrifice fly.

Ryne Nelson’s biggest struggle of the afternoon came in the bottom of the first where he had to work himself out of a bases loaded jam. It started out well enough with him bookending a pair of strikeouts around a single against the first three Marlins batters. Another single and a catcher’s interference call suddenly loaded the bases with two outs. Fortunately, nothing came out of that jam as Jesus Sanchez lined out to left field for the final out of the inning.

From that point on, Nelson and Marlin’s starter Braxton Garrett held all further scoring in check until the fifth inning. Both pitchers retired the side in order in the second inning and faced the minimum through the fourth courtesy of a few timely double plays. Josh Rojas and Nick Ahmed made impressive defensive grabs for Arizona on the left side of the infield. Miami plated their first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs and a full count, Garrett Hampson Hooked one just fair in the left field corner to tie the game a one apiece.

Arizona regained the lead in the seventh thanks to Corbin Carroll being a terror on the bases. He doubled to lead off that frame. Marlins reliever Matt Barnes was so preoccupied with him on the bases that it drew a balk to advance Carroll to third with only one out to which Gabriel Moreno singled him home.

Scott McGough, returning from the paternity list, relieved Nelson in the bottom of the seventh but was unable to maintain the lead. Avisail Garcia began that inning with a double, and so the Marlins went “get ‘em on, get ‘em over, get ‘em in” to tie the game. After McGough gave up his third hit of the inning, Torey Lovullo went to ol’ reliable Andrew Chafin in the high leverage situation. However, fortune ran out. Chafin who has been good so far this season gave up a single to Luis Arraez which gave Miami their first lead of the game which they would maintain until the conclusion.

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