D-backs' Bullpen, Offense Spoil Rodriguez's Bounce-Back Outing

The Arizona Diamondbacks lost to the Houston Astros by a score of 3-1 on Tuesday night. Eduardo Rodriguez delivered an excellent bounce-back outing, but a tough offensive night and a late bullpen misstep spelled ultimate defeat.

Jake Woodford allowed a walk and a two-run homer in the eighth inning, and Arizona failed to score with bases loaded in the ninth. Those mistakes were the difference in a tight contest.

The Diamondbacks fall to 50-52 with their hopes of buying at the deadline gone. The Astros improve to 59-42 to maintain their lead on the AL West.

Arizona Diamondbacks Eduardo Rodriguez Bounces Back

As stinging as the loss may be, it was certainly in no part due to Rodriguez's effort.

Rodriguez had been completely blown up in back-to-back starts coming into Tuesday night, giving up 13 earned runs over his past 8.1 innings. He was leaving pitches over the heart of the plate and failing to execute across the board.

Arizona needed a much better version of Rodriguez Tuesday. They got that, and more. The southpaw threw 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing six hits and three walks while striking out three.

Rodriguez wasn't racking up the punchouts, and Houston put up plenty of baserunners against him, but he did an admirable job of working his way out of jams on multiple occasions.

He escaped bases loaded in the fourth inning with no damage, stranded runners at the corners in the fifth, and erased a one-out walk with a double play to end the sixth.

Rodriguez gave up a single that ricocheted off his foot with one out in the seventh, but Kevin Ginkel stranded the runner to preserve a 1-0 lead.

Rodriguez generated plenty of soft contact, allowing just four hard-hit balls. Three of those went for outs.

Diamondbacks' Offense Shut Down by Astros

The D-backs' potent offense has been held in check the past two games. Granted, Astros ace Framber Valdez is a tough matchup for any club.

But Arizona managed 10 hits, including seven off Valdez. They went just 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position, stranding eight baserunners, however.

Randal Grichuk had an excellent night offensively. He went 3-for-3 with two doubles. Geraldo Perdomo was 3-for-4, and Blaze Alexander brought in Arizona's only run — an RBI groundout in the fifth inning.

Arizona roared to life in the bottom of the ninth down 3-1, loading the bases with no outs on three straight singles. But a strikeout and ill-timed double play off the bat of Jose Herrera stranded all three runners.

The Diamondbacks will try to avoid a sweep Wednesday behind Brandon Pfaadt at 12:40 p.m.

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