Shohei Ohtani barely flinched at the fastball, then immediately turned and headed back to the Los Angeles Dodgers dugout. He did not need to hear the call to know the pitch was a strike. For the third day in a row, he had faced Diamondbacks lefty Joe Mantiply in the middle of a game. And for the third time, Mantiply had recorded an out against arguably the best hitter in baseball.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo did not call Sunday a must-win game for his team, but he did call it a “very, very” important one. After the Diamondbacks blasted the Dodgers, 14-3, putting themselves in position to possibly salvage a four-game split in Monday afternoon’s finale, Lovullo’s face radiated relief.
Lovullo felt they needed a win on Sunday — and his decision to go to Mantiply in the sixth inning helped illustrate that.
At the time, the score was 9-3. The Diamondbacks had exploded for eight runs in the second off Dodgers lefty Justin Wrobleski in an inning that featured both a leadoff double and a three-run homer from designated hitter Randal Grichuk, two of seven hits they collected during the inning.
The outburst prompted Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to wave the white flag.Not only did he remove stars Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez from the game, valuing rest over an unlikely comeback, Roberts also stuck with Wrobleski into the sixth, turning him into a sacrificial lamb for his overworked bullpen.
All of which is to say, the game felt mostly over by the time Ohtani’s spot came around in the sixth. The Diamondbacks led by six. One runner was on, two were out. And Lovullo opted to go to Mantiply anyway.
To be fair, it is hard to blame him.
Not only is Ohtani capable of hitting a ball out of the park at any moment, but there may be few pitchers in baseball better equipped to keep him from doing that than Mantiply. Ohtani’s sixth-inning strikeout was the ninth time the two have squared off in their careers, all of the at-bats coming this season. Ohtani is just 1 for 9 with a double.
“I wanted to keep it at 9-3 because I didn’t want to go into our leverage relievers,” Lovullo said. “I was going to sacrifice Mantiply. He’s thrown three days in a row, he’s done it before against this very team, and I felt like he would have success and get that big out, and we could … save some of the true, right-now, back-end relievers.”
Asked what he thinks is behind the success, the first thing Mantiply pointed to was his delivery. He steps a bit toward first base, giving him a crossfire motion. His arm angle is off to the side. It combines to give him something all pitchers crave: deception. But Mantiply chose his words carefully knowing he likely will face Ohtani plenty more in the future.
“Fortunately it’s gone my way,” he said. “But this game, it can flip really quick, I’m sure. The more you see somebody, the better you’ve got to be. Fortunately, I’ve been able to get him out a few times. I’m just going to try to keep rolling with that.”
At the moment, Ohtani is the likely National League MVP, and if he wins it he would be the first DH in either league to claim the award. He has 44 homers, 43 steals and an OPS approaching 1.000. And yet he looks like any other hitter when he faces Mantiply.
“I feel like in the big spots, I haven’t necessarily made many mistakes,” Mantiply said. “I feel like I’ve done pretty well at changing the sequencing and kind of mixing stuff up. Just try not to give him the same look too many times. A hitter like that, the more he sees you, the better chance he has to hurt you.”
The Diamondbacks’ win moved them back to within five games of the Dodgers in the division and allowed them to keep pace with others in the wild-card race, including the Padres and Mets, both of whom also won. (The Braves were still playing on Sunday at the time of publication.)
Right-hander Brandon Pfaadt gave up three runs in 5 2/3 innings, striking out 10, and the Diamondbacks will send lefty Eduardo Rodriguez to the mound on Monday as they look to come away with a split. They will be matched up with Jack Flaherty, the Dodgers’ top trade deadline acquisition.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to undergo MRI on left calf
Diamondbacks left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. will have an MRI on his left calf after seemingly feeling discomfort while running to first base in the sixth inning.
Gurriel appeared to be favoring his left leg as he approached first base, then walked slowly off the field. He was replaced by Jorge Barrosa in the start of the seventh.
Lovullo said the club was still working through the particulars of when Gurriel would have the MRI, noting that the situation was somewhat complicated by Monday’s holiday.
Christian Walker nearing potential return from injured list
Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker, who has been out since late July with a left oblique strain, took live at-bats at Salt River Fields on Saturday and might do so again on Monday before a potential return from the injured list during the upcoming road trip.
“We’re getting real close with Christian,” manager Torey Lovullo said.
Second baseman Ketel Marte continues to progress, as well, though he appears to be a little behind Walker in terms of return. Marte, out with a left ankle sprain, has been taking at-bats, as well, but hasn’t been running out of the batter’s box, Lovullo said.
“He’s progressing very well,” Lovullo said.
Catcher Gabriel Moreno has been hitting and advanced to doing catching drills, which Lovullo described as a “very good sign” as he works his way back from an adductor strain in his left leg.
Diamondbacks add Slade Cecconi, Jorge Barrosa
With the expansion of rosters to 28 on Sunday, the Diamondbacks added right-hander Slade Cecconi and outfielder Jorge Barrosa ahead of their game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Cecconi gives them an extra arm for the bullpen. He has logged a 3.72 ERA (four earned runs in 9 2/3 innings) in seven games with Triple-A Reno since he was most recently sent down in mid-August.
Barrosa provides a versatile bench option for manager Torey Lovullo. He is a switch-hitter, has enough speed to be a pinch-running option, and is regarded as an excellent defensive outfielder.
Monday’s Diamondbacks-Dodgers pitching matchup
Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 1:10 p.m., Cox, Ch. 34
Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (2-0, 5.06) vs. Dodgers RHP Jack Flaherty (10-6, 3.07).
At Chase Field:Rodriguez gave up five runs in 5 1/3 innings against the Mets on Wednesday, with most of the damage coming in a four-run fourth inning. … Rodriguez has made four starts since returning from the injured list, working at least five innings but no more than 5 2/3 innings in each. … Rodriguez saw his fastball velocity tick up in his most recent start, averaging 92.1 mph. That was exactly what he averaged last season with the Tigers. … Flaherty gave up three runs in six innings in a loss to Baltimore last week. He has made five starts since coming to the Dodgers in a deadline deal, posting a 3.49 ERA with seven walks and 34 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings. … He faced the Diamondbacks in May, giving up two runs in six innings. The game was heated; both he and people in the Diamondbacks’ dugout were caught by cameras screaming back and forth at each other. It is somewhat unclear what it was about, but Flaherty kept digging out a landing spot on the mound that bothered RHP Zac Gallen.
Coming up
Tuesday: At San Francisco, 6:45 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Ryne Nelson (9-6, 4.22) vs. Giants LHP Kyle Harrison (7-6, 4.22).
Wednesday: At San Francisco, 6:45 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (10-6, 3.87) vs. Giants RHP Hayden Birdsong (3-4, 5.14).
Thursday: At San Francisco, 12:45 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly (4-0, 4.30) vs. Giants LHP Blake Snell (2-3, 3.56).
