D-backs Ride Momentum Into Homestand After Series Win in Sacramento

Sometimes, it takes just one win to turn things around. After snapping a six-game losing streak on Saturday, they finished off the Athletics with a solid 6-4 win at Sutter Health Park. They finished their miserable, nine-game road trip with a series win.

The win marked the second consecutive game in which everything came together. They played downhill on the A’s, scoring three runs in the second inning off Jack Perkins and never looked back.

We saw the team create opportunities on the bases, most notably in the fourth when first baseman Tyler Locklear turned a two-out walk into a run with a stolen base, then scored on Alek Thomas’ single through the left side of the infield. Once an offensive hallmark of the 2023 club that won a pennant, it’s been missing from this year’s club.

“When we play the game right, respect the game, and do it the way that you’re taught, good results happen,” said D-backs manager Torey Lovullo on the DbacksTV broadcast. “At the end of the day, you look up and say you win a series, you have a lot to be proud of.”

In these last two games, the team is doing things they’ve struggled to do in their previous 10 games. They’re linking at-bats, executing what the at-bat calls for, pushing the pedal to the metal, and they aren’t missing opportunities. In the series finale, they finished the day 5-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Eight of the nine starters in the lineup reached base via a hit or walk in the game.

With the backdrop of the trade deadline and Arizona struggling to win games, they endured a tough 1-6 start to the trip. They weren’t executing well offensively, scoring 14 runs in their previous 10 games. The last two weeks saw veteran players such as Eugenio Suárez, Josh Naylor, Merrill Kelly, Shelby Miller, and Randal Grichuk dealt to contenders, while Arizona reloads for its next window of contention.

The D-backs snapped a six-game losing streak in a 7-2 win on Saturday, behind another Zac Gallen quality start and some timely hits from the lineup. They had scored eight runs in their previous seven games.

“It just felt different in the clubhouse this morning,” third baseman Blaze Alexander told DbacksTV reporter Todd Walsh. “We were playing some music, the vibes were good, good breakfast, just really good vibes. We got a losing streak off our back, now it’s time for a win streak.”

Alexander had a strong overall game, putting his stamp on every signature moment of this game. He started a pair of critical double plays that bailed D-backs’ starter Eduardo Rodríguez out of a couple jams and collected a pair of big knocks toward the end of the game. The biggest one came in the eighth, a long home run that allowed Arizona to breathe easy in this game.

“I was still looking heater, center field to right-center,” said Alexander. “I was able to recognize [slider] early. I knew it off the bat, I didn’t want to pimp it, but it felt great. Got to get that one off your back a little bit. I’ve been…not scuffling at the plate, grinding a little bit, we all have, but we’re turning that around.”

With the trade of Suárez, Alexander will get a hard look at third base while the team awaits top prospect Jordan Lawlar’s return from a hamstring injury. Lawlar is one of the many prospects the organization needs to evaluate in the final 50 games of the season.

The D-backs return to Chase Field for a three-game series against the San Diego Padres. While the Padres ultimately have postseason aspirations in mind, Arizona can give them a run for their money in the series. Right-hander Brandon Pfaadt will start Monday, with first pitch set for 6:40 P.M. MST.

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Michael McDermott blends the sharp eye of a scout and the insight of an analyst to provide the best and most comprehensive coverage on the Arizona Diamondbacks from outside the press box. Michael has been credentialed for 50 MLB games at Chase Field, the last three years of the Arizona Fall League, and has published content on the team since 2015.