Arizona
Paul Sewald Blows 3rd Straight Save, D-backs Lose to Braves in Extras
Leading 3-1, Paul Sewald and the Diamondbacks were one strike away from taking the opener of a four game set against the Braves. But Eddie Rosario tomahawked a fastball above the zone for a single to right to keep the Braves alive.
Sewald then threw a 91 MPH fastball to Sean Murphy that was up and not far enough away, and the slugging catcher crushed the pitch 431 feet over the wall in right center, erasing a 3-1 lead. The Braves went on to win 5-4 in 11 innings.
For Sewald it was the third straight blown save. He was walked off by the Dodgers last Tuesday, and again by the Padres on Friday. Prior to this stretch he was riding high, a perfect 11-for-11 in save opportunities with a 0.54 ERA. Now he’s 11-for-14, 79%, with a 3.93 ERA.
An average major league closer saves roughly eight of 10, and a great closer saves nine of 10. Had Sewald converted just one of these last three chances he would be 12 for 14, 86%. The fact that these three blown saves have all come within the span of week, and against good teams, makes it more difficult to process.
Said manager Torey Lovullo, “He’d been perfect up to [this 3 game stretch]. Closers blow saves. It happens.” Sewald was not available to speak to the media after the game.
Torey Lovullo questioned throwing the fastball to Rosario based on his poor track record against sliders. He’s batting .031 on sliders, but for some reason Sewald threw a fastball in that count.
“You just got to finish the innings. He made some really good pitches to get that position, just a couple mistakes, and good teams will capitalize on that. I’m still shaking my head. A two out home run doesn’t happen very often, but it’s been happening a little bit to us lately. It’s almost unbelievable and it’s frustrating but it’s part of the game.”
Lovullo made clear that Sewald will close the next time the team has the opportunity. “Yes, he will. I’m not ready to make that decision.” [to remove him from the role]… We’re not going to start that conversation yet. I’m not ready to make that decision. Paul’s been an unbelievable closer for us, and he will continue to get the baseball.”
All of that is true. But at the same time the pressure is mounting and the Diamondbacks find themselves with a closer controversy. If Sewald fails to convert any of his next two or three chances it’s going to force some hard decisions most likely.
Sewald’s outing ruined a fabulous MLB debut by rookie Yilber Diaz. The young Venezuelan pitched like he’s been at this level for years. He displayed excellent command of his fastball which topped out at 98.1 MPH and averaged 96.1. Early on he mixed in some curveballs, but by the middle innings he was using his slider very effectively.
The only blemish was a solo homer in the first inning on a thigh-high fastball on the inside corner to Austin Riley.
Diaz allowed two singles to the eight and nine hitters start the third, but then retired the next three batters, getting Riley to tap out weakly on slider away. He retired nine straight at one point before giving up a lead off single in the 6th. He issued a two out walk, his first of the game, but then caught Marcel Ozuna looking at a perfectly placed slider down and away on the edge of the zone.
Lovullo was impressed with his poise. “The mound presence matched the stuff. He just went out there and executed, and was pounding the zone with three pitches.”
The offense did not have a good night. They managed just four hits in the game, and none after the sixth inning. Geraldo Perdomo singled to start the sixth, and advanced to second on an error. Corbin Carroll hit a bloop single to score Perdomo. Braves pitchers then walked the next three batters to bring home a run and Lourdes Gurriel hit a sacrifice fly.
The Braves pushed across their ghost runner in the top of the 10th, and the D-backs did the same with a sac bunt by Alec Thomas and sac fly by Perdomo. Marcel Ozuna hit a sacrifice fly off Justin Martinez to score the Ghost runner in the 11th, and the D-backs fell just short as Eli White ran down Gurriel’s drive to the track in left center to end the game.
The D-backs fall back under .500, with a 45-46 record. The Braves go to 50-39. Game two of the series starts Tuesday night at 6:40 P.M. It shapes up to be a great pitching matchup with Zac Gallen going against Chris Sale.
Believe it or not, the 2026 All-Star Game voting process has already begun, as of Wednesday. Fans who want to see their favorite members of the Arizona Diamondbacks take the field in the midsummer classic this season can begin voting for their stars.
There are certainly some deserving players on this Diamondbacks club, which is currently 32-28 and occupying the third Wild Card sport in the National League.
Here’s how and where you can vote for your hometown heroes:
How to vote for Diamondbacks players to make All-Star Game
Fans can utilize the following link to vote for members of their team on dbacks.com. Fans are permitted to fill out and submit as many as five ballots per day, selecting as many or as few players as they choose.
This period of the fan vote constitutes Phase 1 of All-Star voting, which will run from Wednesday, June 3 through Thursday, June 25 at 9:00 a.m. Arizona time (12:00 p.m. Eastern time).
Following Phase 1, the two overall top vote-getters will receive automatic berths into the All-Star lineups. If those two are not Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge once again, that would be an upset.
When and where is the 2026 All-Star Game?
The 2026 All-Star Game will take place at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phillies in Philadelphia. All-Star week begins on June 10, with a full slate of activities, before the game is played on Tuesday, July 14 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time (5:00 p.m. Arizona time).
The full schedule of events are as follows:
- Friday, July 10: HBCU Swingman Classic
- Saturday, July 11: 2026 MLB Draft
- Sunday, July 12: All-Star Sunday, MLB Futures Game, MLBx All-Star 3-on-3
- Monday, July 13: T-Mobile Home Run Derby (8:00 p.m. ET)
- Tuesday, July 14: All-Star Red Carpet, All-Star Game
Which Diamondbacks are deserving All-Stars?
| Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
So, who should Diamondbacks fans vote for? Obviously, you may fill out the ballot however you choose. That can include a full roster of Diamondbacks, regardless of their stats or notoriety this season.
Still, here are some of the top performing D-backs who might have a leg up on an All-Star berth:
OF Corbin Carroll
Corbin Carroll is having another All-Star worthy season. He’s hitting .289/.380/.545 with a .925 OPS and eight home runs, while playing good right field defense. He has the eighth-most bWAR (2.7) among position players, fifth-most in the National League, and third-most among all pure outfielders.
2B Ketel Marte
If Marte wins the NL second base fan vote, it will be his third straight season starting the All-Star game. Despite such a slow start to the year, that feels possible again. Marte is hitting .259/.315/.456 with 10 homers and is playing the best defense of his career.
3B Nolan Arenado
Nolan Arenado is quietly putting together one of his better seasons of the 2020s, slashing .269/.351/.467 with eight homers and flashing his elite third base glove at nearly as good a pace as ever. His name still carries a lot of weight in third base conversations; he’ll get some votes, no matter what.
1B Ildemaro Vargas
Vargas’ bat has cooled down quite a bit since his historic start to 2026. He’s still hitting a sturdy .290/.318/.454, but feels more likely to be considered as a reserve selection than a leading vote-getter.
Honorable Mention: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez
Pitchers are not selected by the fan vote. They are selected by player ballots and the All-Star Game managers. The National League’s manager will be Dave Roberts of the Dodgers, again.
The National League has quite a few talented pitchers, but Eduardo Rodriguez currently holds the fifth-best starting pitcher ERA (2.24) among NL hurlers. It’s going to be difficult to dethrone Christopher Sanchez or Jacob Misiorowski, but Rodriguez could find his way into the pitching pool, especially after his WBC heroics for Team Venezuela.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
Arizona State has added Michael White to its coaching staff for the upcoming 2026-2027 season. White will join the program as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.
“I am incredibly honored to return to my home state and join this elite program,” White said. “I’m proud to say that I am coming home. I can’t thank Coach Herbie enough for the opportunity to join his incredible staff and help these young athletes grow and develop into the best individuals they can be. There are so many friends and mentors who have left their mark on this program, and I’m excited for the opportunity to leave mine and help take this program to new heights. Go Devils!”
White arrives with the Sun Devils after most recently spending the last three seasons with Alabama as an assistant. The Alabama women finished 11th at the 2026 NCAA Championships while the men were 24th.
Prior to arriving at Alabama, White spent the 2022-2023 season as a volunteer assistant at Wisconsin. He primarily coached the freestyle, breaststroke and distance groups for the Badgers. In addition to coaching the Badgers, he also was an assistant senior coach with the Madison Aquatics Club for the year. He began his coaching career at Juniata College in Pennsylvania as a volunteer assistant from 2019-2021.
White spent his collegiate career at St. Bonaventure in New York. There he was a 7x individual Atlantic-10 champion and swam to three school records as a senior with a 1:47.30 200 IM, 3:52.18 400 IM, and a 1:47.70 200 fly. He also was team captain for two season and helped the team capture the 2014 A-10 team title.
The Scottsdale, Arizona native will return to his home state. He was a 2012 AIA Division I state champion in the 100 breast and 200 IM as a senior for Dobson High School.
White joins the coaching staff led by head coach Herbie Behm, who is already known to be an innovative coach. Behm spoke of White’s innovation as well saying, “Mike is one of the best young coaches in the NCAA. His interview blew me away with the innovative ideas he presented. I can’t wait to start implementing those ideas and continue our growth at ASU.”
Arizona State swept the 2026 Big 12 team titles, and the men went on to finish 4th at 2026 NCAAs while the women were 37th. Rising senior Ilya Kharun captured the NCAA title in the 200 fly with a 1:37.66.
Arizona is ranked 18th in the nation when it comes to racial equality in the classroom, according to WalletHub.
The personal finance website compiled its 2026 list of Best States for Racial Equality in Education by looking at differences between Black and white students when it comes to test scores, college attainment and high school graduation rates.
The rankings are based on a weighted average of six metrics, but did WalletHub not provide a breakdown of each category.
However, statistics from the Center for the Future of Arizona support the idea that Arizona has work to do when it comes to racial equality. African American students in Arizona have an average college attainment rate of 38%, while white students have an average rate of 54%.
That difference is also evident in other education areas, with a gap of 11 percentage points between Black and white high schoolers in graduation rate.
WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo called the high school graduation rate the most “alarming” data set for the Arizona. He said if the study included the state’s large Hispanic population, the results might have been different.
“It would be interesting, if those numbers were included, where the gaps would be. Again, Arizona has a high Hispanic population, as [does] New Mexico, and New Mexico was at number three. So maybe Arizona could take a look at what their neighbors are doing there to kind of bridge those gaps,” he said.
How can Arizona increase racial equality in the classroom?
Lupo said Arizona can boost its ranking and improve racial equality in schools by increasing the representation and funding for public education.
“One thing [to] do is to build more diversity within the school system. More Black administrators and more Black teachers kind of create more of a familiarity for Black students and more mentors. … Increased funding and a more concerted effort to increase diversity among the school systems, I think, would go a long way in bridging that gap,” he said.
WalletHub ranked Wyoming, West Virginia and New Mexico as the best states for racial equality in the classroom, with New Jersey, Connecticut and Wisconsin at the bottom of the list.
Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.
-
Sports5 minutes ago‘SNL’ star Marcello Hernández to host 2026 ESPYs as show leaves L.A. for New York
-
World15 minutes agoUS House passes Iran war powers resolution in rare moment of Trump backlash
-
News42 minutes agoHouse votes to rein in Trump on Iran as war loses GOP support
-
Los Angeles, Ca2 hours agoPolice investigate deadly stabbing in Tarzana; suspect in custody
-
Detroit, MI2 hours agoDetroit Tigers sweep Tampa Bay Rays in win as Dillon Dingler stays hot
-
San Francisco, CA3 hours agoRetired San Francisco firefighter dies from lung cancer after Blue Shield denies treatment claims
-
Dallas, TX3 hours agoTrackdown: Dallas 7-Eleven robbery suspect wanted
-
Miami, FL3 hours agoThis new Italian restaurant in Brickell only has 10 items on the menu
