Eduardo Rodríguez Labors Through Tough Start Against the Padres

If Diamondbacks’ general manager Mike Hazen was looking for a reason to add to the ball club at the trade deadline, Thursday’s 4-3 loss to the San Diego Padres didn’t provide many. The loss forces a series split with San Diego, marking the fourth consecutive series they did not win, and a 5-9 record in that stretch.

Left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez labored through four-plus innings, surrendering four runs on eight hits. Two of those hits left the ballpark, both solo home runs.

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Despite early traffic, Rodríguez stranded three baserunners through the first three innings. However, he needed 41 pitches to get through the Padres’ lineup the first time through.

The D-backs finally got to Randy Vásquez in the third. Jake McCarthy led off the frame with a walk, then Alek Thomas doubled to put them both in scoring position. Sacrifice flies by José Herrera and Corbin Carroll gave Arizona an early 2-0 lead.

But the lead wouldn’t last. Rodríguez surrendered runs in each of his final three innings pitched, allowing San Diego to take a 4-2 lead. He surrendered home runs to Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. His fourth and final run, which ultimately proved to be the difference in the game, came after he threw his final pitch.

“We were trying to get him through that fifth inning, things stacked up for us if we could, just a couple of mistakes by him that they capitalized on,” manager Torey Lovullo told DbacksTV reporter Jody Jackson.

The 2025 Diamondbacks are built on starting pitching, which has served as the key bellwether towards wins and losses. When the starter records a quality start (6 IP, 3 ER or less), they are 28-10. When the starter records four innings or less, they are 2-9. Two of those losses were charged to Rodríguez.

Missed Opportunities Offensively

The D-backs came dangerously close to tying this game, but they couldn’t capitalize in key situations. Collectively, they were 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position, the lone hit a Geraldo Perdomo RBI double in the seventh. It mirrored the same type of frustration as Tuesday night, in which the team dropped a 1-0 game.

“Yeah, it’s fairly frustrating,” said Lovullo. “We had the right guys at the right spot, a ton of RBIs, a ton of production, they didn’t get it done. And that’s part of the game. That’s what happens every once in a while.”

Padres manager Mike Shildt successfully navigated through the middle of the D-backs lineup. Three times, he intentionally walked Josh Naylor with a base open and opted to pitch to Eugenio Suárez. While on paper it can be a bad strategy, as Suárez is an All-Star who leads the team in both home runs (29) and RBI (75), but they retired him all three times.

“Their manager took some chances, and might have been the difference in winning games. They’re both really good hitters. You look up there, one’s got 70+ RBIs, one is probably near the 60 RBI mark. That’s the heart of our production. I didn’t know the reasoning, but the end of the day, he knew, and it worked. You’ve got to give him credit.”

It also illustrates a concerning trend with the slugging third baseman. Since June 1st, he has 49 strikeouts and four walks in 142 plate appearances. While he’s been hitting the long ball, with 14 homers in that stretch, the declining strikeout and walk rates are eventually going to catch up to him. That feast or famine approach has either made or broken innings.

They had a golden opportunity to score in the sixth. Jake McCarthy blooped in a single and Randal Grichuk drew a walk. However, they failed to execute a double steal, as Grichuk was gunned down at second.

“There are things, techniques, and ideas you’ve got to follow, and there’s a certain standard that we follow here. If you don’t get a good jump off of both bases, you shut it down. Jake clearly had a good jump, Grich was a little bit late. Credit to them once again, they out-executed us in a very crucial moment.”

The eighth inning was another potential opportunity. Herrera singled with two outs in the eighth, and pinch runner Blaze Alexander got to third on a stolen base and a throwing error by catcher Elias Diaz. However, Carroll was frozen on a 2-2 splitter, and that was the death knell for the D-backs on the night.

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D-backs Under Review is Michael McDermott’s publication for deep analysis dives, game coverage, prospect coverage, and breaking down the biggest news topics involving the Arizona Diamondbacks. Michael has been writing about the D-backs since the 2015 season, with stops at AZ Snake Pit, Diamondbacks On SI, Venom Strikes, and Burn City Sports. He has covered over 40 MLB games at Chase Field and the Arizona Fall League.