Arizona baseball had won five of its last seven games, which included three road wins, entering Friday evening’s matchup with Kansas State.
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.
In these four-round projections, the Arizona Cardinals don’t get a tackle until the fourth round.
We are just days away from the 2026 NFL draft, and that means some final mock drafts. What direction will the draft take the Arizona Cardinals?
Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy put together a four-round mock draft for the Cardinals. They go defense early but rebuild the offense for 2026 and moving forward, including landing their potential franchise quarterback.
Cardinals 4-round mock draft
Here are the players in the first four rounds Popejoy projects for Arizona.
- Round 1: Ohio State EDGE/LB Arvell Reese
- Round 2: Alabama QB Ty Simpson
- Round 3: Clemson WR Antonio Williams
- Round 4: Florida OT Austin Barber
What we think of the picks
The Cardinals want to trade out of the third pick and draft a tackle, so not getting a tackle until Round 4 seems unlikely, although they did meet with Barber. They do have options at right tackle for 2026 already on the roster.
Reese would be a great pick if they don’t trade back, as they badly need pass-rushing help off the edge.
Drafting Simpson seems inevitable at this point, so it has to be in a mock draft, although the feeling is they will need to go up into Round 1 again to get him.
Williams has speed and is almost six feet tall, but he does have short arms.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Due to significant injuries to the CB position last year which includes a shoulder surgery for Terrion Arnold, the Lions CB position scored a 6/10 need on my Lions Defensive Draft Need Rankings. Thus, an early-round selection of a young, healthy prospect like Keith Abney would not come as a surprise. He enters the draft with very low medical concern level.
Here is the excerpt from my medical report on Keith Abney:
(Ages in parentheses are at start of 2026 season and are factored into the concern level. Injury info and ages based on available public information are unverified and subject to update. Games played data courtesy of sports-reference.com.)
Keith Abney, CB (21) – Arizona State
Projected round 2-3. #43 on Jeff Risdon board Feb 19.
Concern level 0/10
There is an isolated report of a hand injury but no corroborating information. Even if the hand injury is true, that’s of minimal to no long-term concern.
His availability in his final two seasons has been perfect. Overall, Abney appears to be medically clean and is at an excellent age.
He finished college with 6 INT and 21 PBU.
For more Lions coverage, follow us on X, @TheLionsWire, and give our Facebook page a like. Follow Jimmy on X, @JimmyLiaoMD
In the first game of the series, Arizona (14-23, 5-11 Big 12) battled in a low-scoring affair but fell short in a 2-1 loss to Kansas State (24-12, 8-8 Big 12). The Wildcats from Tucson held the Wildcats from Manhattan at bay for a good majority of the night.
Given that Kansas State leads the Big 12 in conference play in batting, on-base percentage, and slugging, Arizona had a rather good performance, but it was not enough.
Owen Kramkowski pitched seven scoreless innings before allowing the first Kansas State run in the top of the eight. He finished with six strikeouts and kept the high octane Wildcats at bay.
“I thought the defense played well behind him too,” said head coach Chip Hale. “There’s a lot of ground balls, and we made plays where we were positioned in good places, and he was pitching in the eighth inning. That’s unbelievable.”
Garrett Hicks (3-1) came in to try and stop the bleeding for the Wildcats and did so by not allowing Kansas State to take the lead in the eighth. It was in the ninth when the lead was surrendered.
It took until the sixth inning but the first run was scored by Arizona. Andrew Cain singled to left field and after Maddox Mihalakis flew out, it was Beau Sylvester bringing Cain home with a triple through right center field.
Sylvester extended his hitting streak to eight games and it proved to be not enough to get Arizona to the finish line.
Kansas State tied the game at the top of the eight when back to back singles got runners on at first and third. Then a passed ball allowed the third base runner to come home.
Arizona had a chance to retake the lead in the bottom of the ninth after Cain singled to deep right field. With Sylvester back at the plate, it seemed like it was a perfect set up.
A wild pitch nearly got past Kansas State and Cain tried to take advantage of it and steal home. However, Kansas State was able to corral the pitch and get Cain out at home.
AJ Evasco started the ninth inning with a double for Kansas State and back to back fly outs eventually got him home to give Kansas State the lead and the win.
With eight players being left on base, Arizona will need to bring those runners in more often than not if they want to tie the series Saturday afternoon.
As a young team, the Wildcats have had to walk a very tight line between disappointment and dejection and will need to continue handling these losses with grace if it wants to turn a corner.
“It’s the way it goes, it’s baseball,” said Hale. “If we don’t handle it, we will come out tomorrow and won’t be ready to go, so hopefully they handle it.”
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