Diamondbacks Suffer Stunning Loss After Bullpen Meltdown; Lovullo Calls for D-backs to Stay Aggressive

Diamondbacks Lose 9-6 in Shocking Turnaround Against Pirates

What seemed like another vital win for the Arizona Diamondbacks quickly turned into a gut-wrenching loss. In a season filled with challenges, the Diamondbacks suffer stunning loss as the Pirates came from behind to claim victory. The team, looking for back-to-back victories to put their recent five-game losing streak behind them, built a solid four-run lead through seven innings. With starting pitcher Corbin Burnes cruising, a two-run home run being the only blemish on his performance, the D-backs appeared in control.

But everything shifted when the bullpen door opened, and once again, the Diamondbacks suffer stunning loss as their bullpen failed to secure the lead.

Lovullo Urges D-backs to Keep Foot on the Throttle After Bullpen Failure

The Pirates, who had been winless this season when trailing after seven innings, stunned Arizona by scoring seven runs in the eighth inning, ultimately winning 9-6 on Tuesday night at Chase Field. It was yet another harsh reminder for the Diamondbacks that victories aren’t easy to come by this season, and the Diamondbacks suffer stunning loss in dramatic fashion.

“You think the game is in hand, but that’s the nature of this level,” said Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo. “It can change quickly, and you have to give credit to them. They took advantage of some poor relief pitching. We need to wake up tomorrow and find a way to win this series.”

The Diamondbacks will now face one of the league’s top pitchers, Paul Skenes, but first, they must shake off this crushing loss and overcome the frustration of another stunning loss.

Pittsburgh not only snapped an 0-29 record when trailing after seven innings but also made an incredible comeback from an early 6-0 deficit. Henry Davis’ two-run homer off Burnes in the sixth inning seemed like a minor blip at the time. However, things unraveled after Burnes’ exit.

While the bullpen’s struggles were the focal point — with Kevin Ginkel and Jalen Beeks unable to secure the game in the eighth — the blame was shared across the board. The offense did a solid job of building the lead, but after Josh Naylor’s RBI single capped a five-run fourth inning, the Diamondbacks were unable to get another runner on base for the rest of the game, as Pittsburgh pitchers retired the final 17 batters.

“Every now and then, I think this team is a little too reactive, and I want them to stay more proactive and keep their foot on the throttle,” Lovullo added. “I believe our hitters can beat anyone at any time, so we need to keep pushing.”

Burnes had thrown 103 pitches over seven innings when Lovullo brought in Ginkel to start the eighth. Ginkel immediately ran into trouble, retiring just one of the six batters he faced. By the time Lovullo made the call to replace him, five runs had already scored, and the game was tied with a runner on second.

When asked after the game if he wished he had pulled Ginkel sooner, Lovullo explained, “I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I wanted to give him the opportunity. He’s one of our more reliable relievers, and I wanted him to work through that situation.”

When Beeks came in to face Cruz, he managed to induce a grounder to short, but an error by Geraldo Perdomo allowed Cruz to reach base. Bryan Reynolds then followed with a three-run homer to give the Pirates a 9-6 lead, sealing the dramatic turn of events and drawing boos from the fans.

“You turn it over to a bullpen that you feel has favorable matchups, but they just didn’t execute,” Lovullo said. “They didn’t get the job done. We need to improve in certain areas. When we’re ahead in the count, we can’t let it linger. We need to go out with our best stuff, finish off hitters, and keep pounding the zone.”

“Tonight, we made mistakes over the plate and couldn’t throw strikes when we needed to, and that ultimately cost us the game.”