PHOENIX — With his Arizona Diamondbacks mired in an early-season funk, manager Torey Lovullo knows where to go for advice on how to get things turned around.
His mother, 92-year-old Grace Lovullo.
“She said throw out the analytics and trust your gut,” Lovullo said, grinning. “I said, ‘Yeah, I like that. I’ve been a gut manager my whole life.'”
A season of sky-high expectations is off to a slow start for the D-backs, who have lost eight of nine following Friday night’s sloppy-at-times 9-7 loss to the Washington Nationals. The skid has dropped Arizona to 27-30 despite the highest projected payroll in team history.
The stretch of bad baseball has flummoxed Lovullo, the ninth-year skipper who is the franchise’s career wins leader and led the team to the World Series less than two years ago.
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“I’m looking for performance, I’m looking for guys to step up at the most critical time and get the job done,” Lovullo said. “I’m looking for winning players to provide us winning moments. We can do it, but we’ve got to link up.”
It didn’t happen in the series opener against the Nationals.
Arizona gave up two runs in the first after second baseman Ketel Marte dropped the ball on what should have been a routine final out in the inning. Juan Morillo walked three straight hitters — Arizona had six on the night — in the sixth before giving up the go-ahead runs on Nathaniel Lowe’s two-run single.
Eugenio Suarez was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a single in the third inning and left fielder Lourdes Gurriell Jr. misplayed a ball that had an 89% catch rate when it was hit. The Diamondbacks also gave up a hit in the eighth inning when first baseman Josh Naylor ran into pitcher Justin Thompson and couldn’t get to the bag in time, one of 10 extra baserunners Arizona gave the Nationals.
“I’m not going to lie, we’re in a huge grind,” Lovullo said. “We’re doing what I feel is a great job of preparing, a great job if getting ready to go out there and compete, and then the frustration comes when we fail to execute in a very critical time in the game.”
There are multiple reasons the D-backs are struggling, but one problem — the bullpen — has caused the most heartburn. Arizona’s relievers have blown several large leads, and their combined 5.49 ERA is among the worst in the big leagues.
The latest implosion came earlier this week, when the D-backs built a 6-0 lead against the Pittsburgh Pirates before giving up seven runs in the eighth inning and losing 9-6.
Bullpen mainstays over the past few years, such as hard-throwing right-hander Kevin Ginkel, have been demoted to Triple-A as Lovullo tries to find a group that can close games consistently. Veteran righty Jeff Brigham was brought up to take Ginkel’s spot on the roster Friday.
Lovullo has also been critical of his team’s defense. Arizona’s 29 errors rank in the middle of the MLB pack, but things that don’t necessarily show up in the box score such as missed cutoffs or bad reads on fly balls have been common, particularly late in games. It’s one reason they’re 8-11 in one-run games and 2-4 in extra innings.
“We’re not getting the job done defensively late in the game,” Lovullo said. “For me, that’s got to improve.”
There are reasons to believe things could turn around. Outfielder Corbin Carroll, second baseman Ketel Marte and shortstop Geraldo Perdomo lead a lineup that has been one of the most productive in the major leagues.
Perdomo, 25, has been one of the National League’s biggest surprises, particularly at the plate. He has already tied a career high with six homers and is second on the team with 39 RBIs. Lovullo moved the shortstop into the No. 3 spot in the lineup for the first time this season Friday.
Ace right-hander Corbin Burnes — who signed a $210 million, six-year deal in the offseason — has a 2.72 ERA, and Merrill Kelly, Brandon Pfaadt and Ryne Nelson have also been solid.
“This team is very, very capable of getting this thing turned around in a hurry,” Lovullo said.
The entire NL West is also in a funk after a torrid start to the season, keeping the D-backs from falling too far behind. Arizona is fourth in the division, but just seven games off the lead behind the Dodgers, Padres and Giants.
With four months of baseball left, players say there’s no panic.
“When you have a 162-game season, you’re not looking to have one of these stretches, but it seems like we’ve had one pretty much every single year and we’ve been able to bounce back,” designated hitter Pavin Smith said. “Looking on years past, knowing we’ve been able to get out of it, gives us confidence.”
