WASHINGTON — A year ago, the Diamondbacks stumbled into the trade deadline, leaving their front office with little choice but to sell. Players seemed almost too aware of the ramifications of every game. They were pressing, and it showed.
After losing for the second time in as many days, this time, 10-7, to the Washington Nationals on Sunday, the D-backs’ Geraldo Perdomo drew a distinction between what happened last year and what is happening now.
The way he sees it, the Diamondbacks are not overly focused on the deadline. They have just lost a couple of games. These things happen, he said.
Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (2) celebrates with Diamondbacks left fielder Max Kepler (22) after scoring a run against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park on July 26.
Then again, Perdomo did not sound like the deadline will be sneaking up on him. When asked what he would like to see added if the Diamondbacks are, in fact, buyers, he had some ideas. And it begins with starting pitching.
“I would think the main focus would be one starter, at least, and maybe a right-handed bat and a lefty bat, because if we make the playoffs we’re going to lose (Max) Kepler,” Perdomo said, referring to Kepler’s postseason ineligibility due to a PED suspension. “We’re going to see what can happen this week.”
People are also reading…
The Diamondbacks lost not just a rubber match of this series — their first series loss since the Fourth of July weekend — but also the season series to the Nationals, a potentially important outcome for postseason tiebreaker purposes.
It is understandable why starting pitching would be on Perdomo’s mind. Over the past two days, the Diamondbacks have handed the ball to a pair of rookie lefties in Mitch Bratt and Kohl Drake. Bratt got through five innings on Saturday, but he allowed five runs and walked five batters. Drake on Sunday allowed four runs in four-plus innings.
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Mitch Bratt (60) throws to the Washington Nationals during the second inning at Nationals Park on July 25.
Bratt and Drake have made a combined six starts. In 24⅔ innings, they have allowed 16 runs on 29 hits and 15 walks.
“I think sometimes it’s a lot for them,” Perdomo said of young starters being thrust into a pennant race. “They don’t have so much experience. They have been doing the best they can do. They work hard every single time. Bratt and Drake, they (empty their tanks). Whatever has happened in the games, it’s tough for them, but at least we get some fight from them.”
The Diamondbacks have four starters on the injured list, all of whom could be back in the coming weeks, likely starting with right-hander Michael Soroka, who threw a live batting practice session on Saturday. Still, the club already had been talking about potentially adding a starter ahead of the deadline.
Drake was only part of the reason things went sideways on Sunday. Just as costly — and more unexpected — were the struggles of the bullpen. One of the strengths of the team, the group gave up six runs in four innings. The Nationals scored twice against Jonathan Loaisiga, three times (two earned) off Brandyn Garcia and another off Kevin Ginkel.
“Overall, the bullpen has been great,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “And they will continue to be great. They just had an off day today.”
The Diamondbacks were unable to corral the Nationals’ two best hitters, James Wood and C.J. Abrams, who slammed a pair of homers apiece.
“They had two very good hitters control this game today,” Lovullo said. “Deservedly so, we made mistakes to them.”
The Diamondbacks got solo homers from both Perdomo and Ketel Marte, and Gabriel Moreno had two hits and two RBIs. Trailing 10-5, they made things interesting in the ninth, scoring twice, but they left the bases loaded when Tyler Locklear bounced out to second base to end the game.
“We aren’t thinking about what’s going to happen next week (at the deadline),” Perdomo said. “We’re just going out there and playing good baseball. We haven’t been thinking about if somebody here is going to get traded. We’re just going to do our job, be focused and control what we can control.”
Red Sox weren't interested in prospects, source says
The late-night trade on Saturday, pulled off by the Washington Nationals, in which they acquired a young starting pitcher, Connelly Early, from the Boston Red Sox, was just the sort of deal the Diamondbacks have interest in doing ahead of next week’s trade deadline.
The D-backs spoke to the Red Sox about that kind of trade, according to a source, but were told Boston was not interested in acquiring a player who skewed more toward prospect status. In exchange for Early, the Red Sox acquired infielder Curtis Mead, who has had a breakout season in the majors for the Nationals, hitting .254/.352/.500 with 17 homers.
It is unclear who among their young hitters the Diamondbacks would have considered moving, but prospects/young major leaguers such as Ryan Waldschmidt, Tommy Troy, Tim Tawa, etc., apparently were not established enough in the Red Sox’s eyes, the source said.
The Diamondbacks spoke with the Red Sox during the offseason about a possible Ketel Marte trade but were not able to come to an agreement.
Injury updates
Arizona right-hander Michael Soroka threw a two-inning, 35-pitch live batting practice session on Saturday, the club said.
Soroka was lined up to throw a bullpen session on Monday and is expected to pitch in a bridge league game — a game at a spring training complex likely to feature mostly young minor leaguers — in his next outing.
Right-hander Justin Martinez threw a bullpen session on Saturday and was set to pitch in a bridge league game on Tuesday.
Outfielder Jordan Lawlar took five at-bats at the complex as he works his way back from a hamstring injury.
Prospect Druw Jones in Cooperstown for father’s induction
The Diamondbacks gave the green light to Double-A center fielder Druw Jones to be away from his Amarillo team for the weekend to attend the Hall of Fame induction of his father, Andruw Jones, in Cooperstown, N.Y.
“He reached out to me earlier in the month and just asked if he could go for it,” Diamondbacks farm director Chris Slivka said. “That’s obviously a once-in-a-lifetime experience to go support your dad.”
Jones, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 draft, has had an up-and-down season with Amarillo. His overall stat line is pedestrian at best for a good hitting environment — .259/.372/.353 with five homers and 23 steals — but Slivka said there has been significant growth under the hood.
“There's been a lot of positives,” Slivka said. “Cleaning up the lower half (swing) mechanics a little bit, he’s starting to use the ground a little more, riding out his back side, more adjustable front to back.
“The last couple of months has been really promising. He was getting into a pretty good rhythm, too, before he (left for Cooperstown). You’re starting to see more power emerge, starting to see him hit for a little more power to the pull side. … It’s all trending in the right direction, and the swing looks better. He has put in a lot of hard work. Credit to him.”
Coming up
– Wednesday: At Pittsburgh, 9:35 a.m., D-backs LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (9-3, 2.64) vs. Pirates RHP Jared Jones (2-1, 3.72)
