Arizona
Brandon Pfaadt steps up as Diamondbacks crush Dodgers
PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks forced the Los Angeles Dodgers to admit defeat less than three innings into Sunday’s 14-3 victory, giving themselves a chance to salvage a four-game split and win the season series on Monday.
Los Angeles pulled stars Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernandez in the third after the D-backs put up an eight-run second inning to blow the game open.
The Diamondbacks (77-60) had fallen to six games behind Los Angeles (82-55) after frustrating losses on Friday and Saturday. Now, another D-backs win on Monday would keep L.A.’s National League West lead within four games with the tiebreaker in Arizona’s hands.
“I’m not saying it was a must-win game, but it was a very, very important game,” manager Torey Lovullo said.
“We know the standings. We’re following it. We’re chasing the Dodgers, all that stuff, but what impresses me most is our ability to block that out, go out, execute and win the game the way we did today. It’s no errors. It’s Brandon Pfaadt staying locked in and almost giving us a quality start despite the the risk of letting things wander. Our focus was right. Those are the things that stand out to me.”
Torey Lovullo was pleased with the Diamondbacks’ execution in the win over the Dodgers.
“Our focus was right.” pic.twitter.com/Z0Zpk3MEoh
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 2, 2024
Brandon Pfaadt gives Diamondbacks needed start vs. Dodgers
After Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly each allowed five runs over the first two innings on Friday and Saturday, Pfaadt effectively shut down the Dodgers early. Pfaadt began his outing with three scoreless innings and seven strikeouts, punching out Dodgers superstars Shohei Ohtani, Betts and Freeman in order during the third.
“I think it was kind of similar to (Philadelphia) last year, that’s kind of the feeling that it was,” Pfaadt said. “We know these games are important. With what happened the last two days, I think shutting them down in that first inning was important and certainly an aspect of going into the game being aggressive and trying to limit damage.”
Pfaadt threw 5.2 scoreless innings against the Phillies in Game 3 of the NLCS as a rookie with the D-backs trailing 2-0 in the series.
On Sunday, he allowed one earned run through five innings before the Dodgers scratched a couple in the sixth. Pfaadt finished with 5.2 innings and three earned runs, nearly earning a quality start for the first time Aug. 7. The right-hander struck out 10 batters.
Brandon Pfaadt, K’ing the Side in the 3rd.
7Ks thru 3. pic.twitter.com/QwEfWTcLyl
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 1, 2024
It was a stopper-type performance after the Dodgers gave Gallen and Kelly trouble, as this time the offense was able to break out a significant lead instead of having to mount comebacks.
Chase Field was packed with more than 46,000 fans for the third straight game, and Pfaadt said he loves pitching in that playoff-like environment.
“I think that just gives you a little extra motivation to go out there and do your job and gives you some fire to go out there and be aggressive,” Pfaadt said. “Regardless if there’s 2,000 people or 40,000, we’re trying to do the same job. But it’s a little easier when you get the fans behind you.”
Brandon Pfaadt said the feeling going into Sunday’s big win over Dodgers reminded him of Game 3 of the NLCS vs. Philadelphia. pic.twitter.com/eQISz1nWYk
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 1, 2024
Joe Mantiply vs. Shohei Ohtani
Lovullo pulled Pfaadt with Ohtani coming up in a 9-3 game to insert Joe Mantiply.
Mantiply has been Arizona’s version of an Ohtani-stopper this season, as Ohtani is 1-for-9 against Mantiply with three strikeouts. Mantiply has faced Ohtani in three straight games and retired him thrice. And the swings did not look comfortable.
“I can’t help but think every time Ohtani comes up, he’s gonna hit a ball over the fence,” Lovullo said. “I wanted to keep it at 9-3 because I didn’t want to have to go into our leverage relievers. I was going to sacrifice Mantiply, who threw three days in a row. He’s done it before, against this very team, and I felt like he would have success.”
Randal Grichuk leads Diamondbacks’ rally
The Diamondbacks scored their eight runs with seven hits in the second inning. Randal Grichuk started it off with a double and capped it with the home run off Dodgers southpaw starter Justin Wrobleski.
Grichuk, Geraldo Perdomo, Corbin Carroll, Josh Bell, Eugenio Suarez and Kevin Newman all had multi-hit days, as the D-backs finished with 17 knocks. Carroll set the franchise record by reaching base safely for a 40th straight start.
Lovullo credited Grichuk for turning the page after Friday. Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw exited that game with injury, and Lovullo pinch hit the left-handed Joc Pederson for Grichuk in only the second inning. Grichuk has been a platoon bat all year, but with limited matchups against lefties, he only received 39 plate appearances in August.
“There’s been a lot of ups and downs. Not playing every day is tough, so you have to stay mentally in a place where I’d say you’re okay with not producing but not beating yourself up,” Grichuk said. “Playing a couple times a week is a tough role in this game. Pitchers are nasty. If you’re not getting those every day at-bats, it’s tough. … Just got to go up there with confidence. When the mechanics are clicking, games like today happen.”
Randal Grichuk – Arizona Diamondbacks (6)
pic.twitter.com/SNWLmAaCJV— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) September 1, 2024
“I know he’s hungry to play more,” Lovullo said. “But, and what I’ve said to him recently, in the model we have, this is his role. This is what he does best to help us win games.”
Checking in on Arizona’s designated hitter production, the position accounted for a .900 OPS ahead of Grichuk’s Sunday. That ranked third in MLB behind Los Angeles and Atlanta. Last year, before Grichuk and Pederson signed as free agents, it was .678, which ranked 27th.
Diamondbacks-Dodgers finale
The final meeting between the Diamondbacks and Dodgers this season starts at 1:10 p.m. on Labor Day Monday.
Arizona will send left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (5.06 ERA) to the hill, while Los Angeles gives the ball to right-hander Jack Flaherty (3.07). The season series is 6-6.
Catch the season series finale on the Arizona Sports app, 98.7 and ArizonaSports.com.
Don’t miss these 5 metro Phoenix hidden gem restaurants
From Ethiopian cuisine to mesquite-grilled chicken, check out these five restaurants in metro Phoenix that have flown under the radar for too long.
A former candidate for Gilbert mayor has opened the first Arizona location of a Founding Fathers-themed ice cream shop in Chandler.
Brooker’s Founding Flavors Ice Cream is a Utah-based ice cream shop centered around the early history of the United States. Female employees scoop cones in bonnets and dresses; male employees wear tricorn hats and coats. The ice cream flavors have names like Martha Washington’s Colonial Cotton Candy and Alexander Hamilton’s Not Throwing Away My Scoop.
On a trip to Utah in 2019, Arizonan Shane Krauser went to a Brooker’s and was blown away.
“I walked out of that, called my wife Janelle and I said, ‘We will own one of these,’” Krauser said.
The couple had no previous restaurant experience, but decided to open up the chain’s first location outside of Utah, choosing a storefront near the intersection of Chandler Boulevard and Dobson Road. The store opened on June 6.
Krauser loves how the shop creates conversation among customers about American history.
“I love history. I love the Founding Fathers. I love the ideals of America,” Krauser said. “It’s an amazing concept.”
Opening Founding Flavors isn’t political, it’s a ‘labor of love’
Krauser is a retired lawyer turned motivational speaker who addresses topics including “freedom, the proper role of government and the parameters of the U.S. and state constitutions,” according to his website.
In 2024, Krauser ran for Gilbert mayor, but withdrew his candidacy amid scrutiny over involvement with a past investment fraud scheme and his son’s appearance in a video with the Gilbert Goons, The Arizona Republic reported.
Although the shop plans to host events celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S., such as one for Constitution Day in September, Krauser said he does not see the ice cream store as related to his political career.
“The mayoral run was something to be involved in politically. This is more of a labor of love,” Krauser said. “This is not political in nature at all. It’s an ice cream shop with an American theme.”
Details: 2560 W. Chandler Blvd. #3, Chandler. brookersicecream.com, 480-881-6100.
Reach the reporter at reia.li@gannett.com. Follow @reia_reports on Instagram.
Arizona CEO accused of stealing millions
Jeffrey Gottfurcht, the now-former CEO of Mesa startupo Cyber Dive, is accused of stealing at least $1.5 million from the company to buy gifts for his girlfriend. FOX 10’s Brian Webb has more.
PHOENIX – An Arizona chief executive officer is facing major legal trouble after being accused of embezzling money from his company.
What we know:
Cyber Dive is an Arizona startup that sells child-safety smartphones, designed so parents can monitor their children’s online activity. The company is run out of a business complex in Mesa, but the startup is barely hanging on after the CEO allegedly took off with the money to spend on his girlfriend.
Jeffrey Gottfurcht is facing federal embezzlement charges. He stands accused of lying and doctoring documents to trick investors before running off with at least $1.5 million.
On the company Facebook page, Gottfurcht claimed to be the first rheumatoid arthritis sufferer to scale Mount Everest.
Local perspective:
Red flags first popped up at the company on Feb. 13, with strange occurrences coming into the office.
Derek Jackson, who co-founded Cyber Dive, recalled the moment the discrepancies came to light.
“They mentioned to me something about getting routing documentation for funds from an acquisition deal,” Jackson recounted. “They said ‘where are those documents?’ He said he was gonna send him at 3 p.m. today, and my response was what deal are you talking about?”
Dig deeper:
Court documents show Gottfurcht used the money to buy his escort girlfriend a Lamborghini, a four-bedroom house in Miami, and a diamond ring. The girlfriend has posted videos on TikTok, but her identity is hidden because she has not been charged with a crime.
When asked to confirm if Gottfurcht purchased the car, the diamond ring, and the house, Jackson responded, “Yes. So it gets deep. Yes, it gets very deep.”
“It’s a huge gut punch,” Jackson said regarding the impact on the startup. “I think it’s been challenging to stay motivated to keep the company going because when this happened, Jeff drained the account to zero.”
At the Cyber Dive headquarters, half the workforce was let go. Jackson is now serving as the interim chief executive officer, looking for new investors to keep the lights on while coming to grips with the loss of a partner and friend.
Jackson stated that the total amount of money taken is closer to $4 million.
“I was in the army. I was an intelligence officer. I was targeting people in ISIS. I don’t even hate terrorists as much as I hate Jeff right now,” Jackson said.
The other side:
No one answered the door at the Paradise Valley home Gottfurcht shares with his wife and three children. Court paperwork shows that his wife is seeking a divorce, and helped turn her husband in to the authorities.
What’s next:
Gottfurcht was previously arrested in Scottsdale in May over allegations of domestic violence. He remains behind bars on a $250,000 bond.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Derek Jackson, and from court documents.
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