D-backs' first-pitch approach ineffective against Twins

PHOENIX -- Hours before Wednesday night’s first pitch, D-backs manager Torey Lovullo knew what was coming. And the Twins knew he knew. And he knew the Twins knew that he knew. You get the idea.

Earlier in the day, the Arizona skipper talked about the Diamondbacks’ propensity for -- and other teams’ gaining knowledge of -- throwing first-pitch strikes. It’s aggressive, for sure.

Sometimes, it works -- like it did in last week’s series win over the Nationals.

Other times, teams look for it.

On Wednesday, the Twins won the battle, stroking 10 hits in the first four innings to blow things open in their 8-3 win at Chase Field. Carlos Correa led off the second inning on a first-pitch single and later scored on Jose Miranda’s bases-clearing double. Willi Castro turned a first-pitch swing into a double in the fourth and then scored on Trevor Larnach’s double. Castro struck again an inning later by blasting a 428-foot homer -- his seventh of the season -- to left on the first pitch he saw.

“We are very good at first-pitch strikes," Lovullo said before first pitch. "We're very good at winning the first three pitches. That information is common knowledge in the league, and I think good teams walk up there and step into the box ready to go powerball on us, knowing we’re gonna attack the zone.”

The strategy this time spoiled an otherwise sparkling June for Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson. The third-year right-hander was bidding for his third win of the month after consecutive strong starts coming into the game.

After allowing only nine combined hits over his previous two starts, Nelson was tagged for six earned runs on 10 hits and didn’t make it out of the fourth inning.

The Twins finished the night with 14 hits, with five starters registering at least two.

“We’re aware of it,” Lovullo said. “We watched the Nationals walk up there and in three games I think we averaged 11 pitches per inning because the Nationals were aware of what we were trying to do. It worked out well there, but we’ve got to make some adjustments.”

The Twins never let up. Carlos Santana smashed a one-out double -- one of seven Minnesota doubles on the night -- in the top of the ninth inning, this time on the first pitch he saw from Bryce Jarvis, Arizona’s fifth pitcher.

Nelson, the D-backs’ second-round pick in the 2019 Draft, had a 1.98 ERA in his two home starts this month and had walked only five and fanned a combined 12 batters in his previous four June starts.

Early on Wednesday it looked like his developing cutter and slider were on point as the 26-year-old continues to sharpen secondary stuff to complement his fastball. In the first inning, he uncorked an offspeed pitch effective enough to twist up Castro, who ended up in the dirt on his back pocket.

It was a momentary highlight.

“It was just some mistakes that they capitalized on and falling behind in counts,” Nelson (5-6) said. “[The Twins] had some good at-bats and got some pitches to hit and they didn’t miss them.”

The Diamondbacks managed just four hits overall on a night they had only three runners in scoring position -- and brought home none.

“Situational hitting is the name of the game,” said Lovullo, whose team has a quick turnaround with an afternoon first pitch Thursday. "We've gotta spit this one out."