Arizona

Why did Diamondbacks go to Paul Sewald in key moment of loss to Dodgers?

Published

1 year ago

August 31, 2024

Why did Diamondbacks go to Paul Sewald in key moment of loss to Dodgers?

PHOENIX — In a shootout 10-9 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, the Arizona Diamondbacks had to make some tough decisions with the bullpen. Ryan Thompson was unavailable and manager Torey Lovullo wanted to stay away from Justin Martinez, as the duo had pitched in each of the previous two games.

Lovullo had some maneuvering to do, and his pitchers did not get the job done.

Starter Zac Gallen did not have great feel for his pitches early, although he gutted out five innings and left with the two sides tied 5-5.

The biggest moment for the bullpen came in the seventh inning when Paul Sewald entered down 6-5 with two runners on and one out.

Two batters into Sewald’s outing, Dodgers catcher Will Smith broke the game open with a three-run homer. Sewald missed his spot with a fastball in after Smith looked pretty hopeless on back-to-back sweepers. Lovullo thought the pitch should have been down-and-away to freeze Smith.

HR No. 17 for Will Smith is an insurance BLAST 💥 pic.twitter.com/ljT3REZHRn
— MLB (@MLB) August 31, 2024

Why Sewald? Kevin Ginkel, who has not allowed an earned run in his last 11 games, had previously warmed up, but Lovullo wanted to save him and A.J. Puk for a situation in which the D-backs were ahead. Jordan Montgomery was also not available.

“I can’t run away from everybody, and I want to give Paul a chance to get some rhythm and go in there and and find his way,” Lovullo said.

“It’s getting better. Believe it or not, I know it’s hard for me to sit here and convince you guys of that based on what his line score look like, but it’s getting better. I think we’re an arm fake away from executing an out at third base and being out of that inning.”

Sewald then allowed a second home run, this time a solo shot by Shohei Ohtani in the eighth inning on an 0-2 fastball right down the middle.

Ohtani’s homer became the difference in the game, as an Eugenio Suarez two-run shot cut the deficit to one run in the ninth inning.

The D-backs have not named Martinez the closer despite the 23-year-old filling that role over the past three weeks. Lovullo continues to leave the door open for Sewald to retain that status, but Sewald has allowed runs in three straight games and Friday’s performance proved costly.

“The thing I like about him is he’s landing the slider and I know last year it was kind of reverse. It was a lot of four-seam fastballs, and he couldn’t find the slider,” Lovullo said. “He’s got to find that fastball location.”

The Dodgers took a 6-5 lead in the sixth inning on a Joe Mantiply wild pitch, scoring a run charged to Dylan Floro. Mantiply was charged with two runs on Smith’s homer.

Diamondbacks’ first-and-third play

Lovullo highlighted a first-and-third play just before Smith’s home run that he felt made a significant difference in the game.

With runners on the corners, Los Angeles’ Teoscar Hernandez stole second. Instead of throwing down, catcher Jose Herrera pump faked to second and ran toward third. Mookie Betts was caught well off the bag, but Herrera had to wait a beat for Suarez to cover before throwing the ball. Betts just beat the throw to keep Smith’s at-bat alive.

“I thought we got him, but I played deep. I played almost in the grass. That’s why I didn’t make it to third,” Suarez said. “I thought if I played short there, we got him because that was a good play. … As a runner, when you see the third baseman play that deep, you got a chance to break off hard like he did and you’ve got a chance to be back. That’s what happened on that play.”

Lovullo admitted he had not yet reviewed the play, but he was frustrated by the failure to record the out. He said they practice it in spring training a lot, and he would take a closer look at the execution.

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Arizona

Why does Arizona have so many specialty license plates? Like, over 100

Published

7 hours ago

January 19, 2026

Press Room

Why does Arizona have so many specialty license plates? Like, over 100

Consider the license plate.

No, seriously, think about it. Just sitting there, stuck on the back of your car, an identification device that attracts little or no notice unless you get pulled over for speeding or something.

Unless …

For some people, a license plate can be something more. It’s a way for some drivers to express themselves, whether through witty (and not so witty) words and names and such, or through a speciality plate. You have doubtless seen both. I broke up laughing while stuck behind a car with an Idaho plate, detailed with the slogan, “Famous Potatoes.”

Arizona’s plate has a slogan, too: “Grand Canyon State.” It has a little silhouette of a saguaro cactus, too. Fitting, though “Famous Political Scandals” would work, too.

What you may not know about license plates in Arizona, and why would you, is that you have a staggering number of options when it comes to expressing yourself through speciality plates. The state offers 109, ranging from the standard (“Grand Canyon State”) to “In God We Trust” to Verde Valley Wine Trail to, of course, the state’s universities, as well as many, many more.

This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we answer the question, “Why does Arizona have so many specialty plates?” And we have just the person to answer it: Bill Lamoreaux, the assistant communications director for the Arizona Department of Transportation, specifically the Motor Vehicle Division. He knows a lot about Arizona license plates. And if you tune into the episode, you will, too.

Listen to the episode:

The best way to listen is to subscribe to Valley 101 in your favorite podcast app, but you can also stream the full episode below.

Note: Valley 101 is intended to be heard, but we offer an AI transcript of the episode script. There may be slight deviations from the podcast audio.

Submit your questions to us about metro Phoenix and Arizona for a chance to be chosen for the podcast.

Catch up on previous Valley 101 episodes here

Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Subscribe to the weekly Watchlist newsletter.

This episode was produced by Amanda Luberto. You can reach Amanda at amanda.luberto@arizonarepublic.com or follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @amandaluberto.

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Arizona

Auburn lands commitment from former Arizona safety

Published

19 hours ago

January 18, 2026

Press Room

Auburn lands commitment from former Arizona safety

Auburn’s safety room is already relatively deep, but the Tigers added another player with Power Four experience to that group on Sunday.

Arizona transfer Jack Luttrell is the latest transfer to commit Auburn, a source confirmed to AL.com. He joins USF transfer Fred Gaskin as Auburn’s second transfer safety and becomes the 32nd overall transfer the program has added since the portal opened.

Luttrell spent two seasons in Tucson and was a major contributor during the 2024 season. Playing in 12 games that year, Luttrell tallied 39 tackles, four pass deflections, three interceptions and a forced fumble.

He only played in three games this past season, but finished with three tackles and an interception. He’ll have two years of eligibility remaining when he arrives in Auburn.

The transfer portal closed for players to enter on Friday, but players already in the portal can still sign with schools after that. Keep up with all of Auburn’s incoming and outgoing players here.

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Arizona

3 Arizona boys basketball seniors who could star at college level

Published

1 day ago

January 18, 2026

Press Room

3 Arizona boys basketball seniors who could star at college level

Arizona high school basketball is gaining national recognition with multiple teams ranked in the top 10.
Three standout seniors are expected to make an immediate impact in college basketball next season.
Cameron Williams, a 7-foot center signed with Duke, is noted for his shot-blocking and developing offense.

Arizona has elevated itself nationally in boys’ high school basketball like never before.

Last year, Gilbert Perry finished ranked No. 4 in the nation, behind current Arizona freshman Koa Peat. This year, both Phoenix Sunnylope (No. 4) and Goodyear Millennium (No. 10) are ranked among the nation’s top 10 teams by MaxPreps.

More college coaches are taking a serious look at Arizona high school basketball talent. And this year’s 2026 class has its fair share of future college players. The Arizona Republic takes a look at three seniors who could make immediate splashes next college basketball season as freshmen. They are in the midst of their final season of high school basketball, so catch them while you can.

Cameron Williams, Phoenix St. Mary’s

The 7-footer is a shot-blocking phenom and the No. 2 overall prospect in the ESPN Next for the 2026 class. He signed with Duke in November, one of the nation’s top college programs, after also considering Arizona and Texas. And he’s only scratched the surface of his potential.

He’s considered a later bloomer, whose star only began to glisten on a national scale last summer when he separated himself at the NBPA Top 100 Camp, where he averaged 12.8 points and six rebounds.

Williams has always been a great rim protector, but his offense has blossomed in the last year under coach Damin Lopez at St. Mary’s. He’s developed a more consistent 3-point shot. He runs the court well. He was clutch at the end in a recent 67-66 win over Phoenix Brophy Prep, nailing two late 3s, blocking a shot, making a steal and hitting two free throws with two seconds left to win it.

“We’re super proud of him. Cam is not making small steps. Cam is making jumps,” Lopez said. “That’s why he’s been so successful on the national level. He’s learning the game at a high rate. He’s still going to make some mistakes. But overall he’s getting better.”

Here’s where to find Williams’ next five games. All times MST:

Jan. 19 vs. No. 1 nationally ranked Paul VI (Virginia), 11 a.m., at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts (on ESPN2); Jan. 23 at Santa Ana (California) Mater Dei, 5 p.m.; Jan. 27, at home against Tempe Marcos de Niza, 7 p.m.; Jan. 30 at Gilbert Mesquite, 7 p.m.; Feb. 3, at home against Scottsdale Saguaro, 7 p.m.

Cameron Holmes, Goodyear Millennium

The 6-foot-6 guard signed with top-ranked Arizona. He’s a complete player, a dynamo at both ends of the court, who took the Tigers to the Open state championship game his sophomore season, a loss to Perry and Peat, who won four state titles in his Perry career.

Holmes, one of the more athletic players in the state, a great leaper, has stayed loyal to Millennium, even after the Tigers said goodbye to coach Ty Amundsen, who left last summer to be an assistant at Arizona State. Holmes avoided the prep school scene — where basketball-focused schools play national schedules — and has developed into the No. 38-ranked player in the nation in the 2026 class by ESPN.

He’s a scorer from all three levels. He hyper-extended his knee on his way to a dunk against Georgia-power Wheeler late in the Hoophall West semifinal game of the traditional bracket. Losing Holmes hurt the Tigers’ chances of beating Wheeler and getting a chance to play Phoenix Sunnyslope in the final. But those two teams will see each other twice in the second half of the season.

First-year coach Rich Thornton said that Holmes could have played in Millennium’s 11-point win over Phoenix Desert Vista last week, but he held him out as a precaution. Holmes returned Jan. 17 in the Hoophall Classic in Massachusetts with a game against Christ the King out of New York.

Holmes is the brother of former Dayton star DaRon Holmes II, who was a first-round NBA draft pick of the Suns in 2024. The Suns traded his draft rights to the Denver Nuggets. Cameron is a different style of player than DaRon. He’s not as tall, but has the same kind of hops, plays a bigger role on the perimeter and, like his older brother, gets after it defensively.

Here’s where to find Holmes’ next five games, all times MST:

Jan. 21, at Sunnyslope, 7 p.m.; Jan. 27, at Brophy Prep, 7 p.m.; Jan. 30, at Phoenix Desert Vista, 7 p.m.; Feb. 10, at home against Sunnyslope, 7 p.m.; Feb. 12, at home against Brophy Prep, 7 p.m.

Rider Portela, Sunnyslope

The 6-foot-6 Portela has signed with Colorado. One of the best defenders in the state, he’s been a big part of his dad, Ray Portela’s, Sunnyslope teams since his freshman year, helping the Vikings to two Open Division state final appearances, both losses to Perry. His long arms and ability to stay in front of his man frustrate opposing players.

An ultimate team player, Portela doesn’t need to be the main scorer for a team that has jumped in the national rankings since winning two major holiday tournaments from No. 38 to No. 4 by MaxPreps. He’s the ultimate team guy.

Juniors Delton Prescott and 6-foot-11 Darius Wabbington have been the team’s top two scorers this season. That’s OK with Portela, because they’re winning and playing cohesively. It might be Ray Portela’s most complete team and it starts with Rider’s leadership and defensive prowess.

It’s easy to find Portela on the court, because he’s the guy nearly inside the jersey of the man he’s covering. He’s diving for loose balls, making steals and leading breaks with dunks. He can fill it up from beyond the arc, too.

Portela is confident he can fill into his tall frame at Colorado, which, he feels, will be great for his development. Defense will get him on the court faster than most at a high major, and there might not be a better defender in the state. Learning from his dad will be beneficial at the next level.

Always wanting to challenge himself, Portela feels Colorado will do that. He’s looking forward to escaping the 100-degree summer days in Phoenix and seeing his game take off in Boulder.

Here’s where to find Portela’s next five games, all times MST:

Jan. 21, at home against Millennium, 7 p.m.; Jan. 27, at Desert Vista, 7 p.m.; Feb. 3, at home, against Tempe Corona del Sol, 7 p.m.; Feb. 6, at Brophy Prep, 7 p.m.; Feb. 10, at Millennium, 7 p.m.

Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. Catch the best high school sports coverage in the state. Sign up for Azcentral Preps Now. And be sure to subscribe to our daily sports newsletters so you don’t miss a thing. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert

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