D-backs grinding at plate amid ‘frustrating stretch’

ARLINGTON -- The D-backs remain in an offensive funk and the frustration within the clubhouse is evident.

“We’ve got to be better than this,” manager Torey Lovullo said.

The latest disappointment came Wednesday afternoon in a 6-1 loss to the Rangers at Globe Life Field. The D-backs failed to convert scoring chances in the first, third, fifth and eighth innings. They only avoided a shutout with an RBI single by Corbin Carroll in the ninth inning.

“We continue to build the innings and then we can’t get that big two-out hit,” Lovullo said. “Situational hitting, hitting deep in counts, getting that big two-out hit and being stubborn is a part of this game. I know it’s challenging, but we can be better at it.

“I think, overall, we’ve got to understand what our offensive identity is -- hard contact in the middle of the diamond, grinding out at-bats, being stubborn in the zone [and] swinging at the strike we’re looking for. Those are all reminders that I know the players are getting on a daily basis. We’re going through a really frustrating stretch. We’ve got to be better than this.”

Wednesday afternoon felt a lot like Tuesday night as far as the D-backs are concerned in how the 2023 World Series rematch against the Rangers went. Arizona had a solid starting effort derailed by a fifth-inning home run by Rangers slugger Corey Seager, and the offense struggled yet again.

D-backs starter Ryne Nelson had limited the Rangers to two runs in the first four innings before Seager turned on a first-pitch cutter for a two-run homer in the fifth inning to put the Rangers up, 4-0. On Tuesday, Seager sent Brandon Pfaadt’s first-pitch sweeper into the right-field seats for a three-run shot in the fifth inning.

“I’ve been watching him for a long time. When he’s hot, there’s very little room for error,” Lovullo said. “That’s why he’s a great player. Sometimes, I think there’s another league he should be playing in.”

Much like Pfaadt, Nelson wasn’t overly disappointed with how he executed his pitch. Quite simply, Seager is one of the game’s hottest hitters right now.

“It was inside, probably not inside enough, but that was definitely where we were going,” Nelson said. “I feel I threw the cutter a bunch tonight, and he’s a good hitter. He’s a smart hitter, he was probably expecting it or had a feeling it was coming and he put the barrel on it. It was an executed pitch on my side, but he executed his swing better.”

The D-backs are now 4-17 when opponents score first, and 1-26 when falling behind by multiple runs. They also dropped to 4-20 in games in which they do not hit a home run.

All of it traces back to an offense that is struggling to find its rhythm of late.

“We have seen it in spurts, when we link it together one through nine, we become a very tough lineup to pitch to,” Lovullo said. “Then, when you get that mistake, you slug. We’ve been missing slug. Somebody asked me about the lack of a home run and that’s a product of waiting and slugging the pitch you’re looking for.

“I think we’re swinging at strikes that are strikes but not the one we’re looking for. We’ve got to be very stubborn with a pitch that we know we can drive.”

Arizona finished the game 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position, leaving 12 on base.

Asked to describe the overall mood in the clubhouse after being swept for the second time this season, Lovullo had just two words: somber and frustrated.

However, the season is young and there is plenty of time to change the narrative. Carroll ranked among the silver linings coming out of the series. He entered Wednesday in a 1-for-13 slump in his previous four games, but finished with a season-high three hits.

“It was a good day for him,” Lovullo said. “It’s been a long time coming for him. He’s grinding as hard as anybody, but he’s never quitting. It’s easy to have his back in those situations because of the effort that he’s giving every single day and the intensity in which he’s going out there every single inning. So, it was a good day for him.”

The D-backs now head to New York to close out the road trip with four games against the Mets.