PHOENIX -- By the time he took the mound to start out the ninth inning with the D-backs trailing the Phillies by eight runs, there was subsequent to nothing that Josh Rojas might do to vary what the ultimate consequence can be, however the infielder might present a few advantages.

First, he might save Arizona from having to make use of an precise pitcher for an inning. And second, he might present some levity on an evening wherein nothing went proper for the D-backs in a 15-3 loss, and that in flip might assist them flip the web page for Wednesday.

The D-backs entered the sport on a heck of a roll. Winners of 12 of their final 14 video games earlier than Tuesday’s setback, they've the finest report within the National League. It had been some time since that they had a clunker of a sport, so it’s simpler to take this one in stride and transfer ahead.

“This was, for me, a total outlier,” D-backs supervisor Torey Lovullo mentioned. “We’ve been playing good baseball. We just have to digest it, throw it out and be ready tomorrow. The game just didn't really have a rhythm to it from where I was.”

The Phillies jumped Zach Davies for 4 runs within the first inning and two within the third.

Davies lasted three innings, however that in itself was an accomplishment contemplating it took him 85 pitches to take action.

With the D-backs going through a 7-0 deficit after 5 innings, Lovullo started trying towards Wednesday when it got here to his pitching employees.

Joe Mantiply, making his first look of the yr after opening the season on the injured checklist with a hamstring harm, managed to throw the sixth by way of eighth innings. Actually, greater than managing to throw these innings, he fought to take action.

With three runs in and two outs within the eighth, Lovullo headed to the mound to take out Mantiply, however the lefty waved Lovullo again to the dugout, telling him that he needed to get the ultimate out of the inning, which he did.

That left the ninth, and Lovullo turned to Rojas, who mentioned he could have pitched sooner or later in summer time league play eight years in the past. Regardless, Rojas has been itching for an opportunity to do it.

But, watch out what you would like for. That 60 ft, 6 inches shouldn't be as nice of a distance as you would possibly assume.

“First of all, I was telling these guys, ‘It's not safe being that close to the hitter,’” Rojas mentioned. “I felt very nervous that they were going to hit one right back at me.”

The Phillies didn’t try this, however they did sq. up some balls, with 5 of their swings leading to 95-plus mph exit velocities.

Rojas did contact 70 mph with a pitch, however he additionally registered a number of pitches within the 30s.

“I wanted to let it eat a little bit more, but I didn't get to warm up like in the cage or anything, so I just played it safe,” Rojas mentioned.

Rojas did check out some completely different windups on the mound, with a pair Johnny Cueto “shimmy” deliveries.

“That's one of my favorite guys to watch,” Rojas mentioned of Cueto. “I've always told the pitchers they should do that more to mess up timings. It doesn't work as well when you're throwing 36 mph. The long [shimmy] was actually because I was about to lose my balance and fall.”

The Phillies pounded 5 hits and scored 4 runs within the ninth and Rojas’ technique of attempting to throw lob balls that may cross the plate too excessive for hitters to hit, however then drop down and appear like strikes when Carson Kelly caught them was foiled by veteran home-plate umpire Jerry Layne.

“He didn't fall for it,” Rojas mentioned. “He was on top of it.”

In the top, the bullpen was saved for Wednesday, and regardless of the frustration of the loss, the D-backs had been capable of finish the sport with a little bit little bit of humor.

“I don't like pitching position players,” Lovullo mentioned. “I've never liked waving the white flag, and I think that's what it means. But it gave us a little jump-start. It’s 9:30 p.m. and we probably already are starting to spit this one out with a little bit of sense of humor after watching Rojas.”

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