D-backs Manager Opens Up on Puzzling In-Game Decision

Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo came under some understandable questioning after a decision made in Wednesday's loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

With runners at second and third and first base open, Lovullo opted not to intentionally walk the dangerous Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

A mere two innings earlier, Guerrero was given an intentional free pass in the very same situation. One out, runners at second and third, and first open. That allowed starter Eduardo Rodríguez to escape the inning without further damage.

But in the fifth, the decision to pitch to the slugger resulted in a two-run double off the wall, extending Toronto's lead to 5-1 against D-backs' right-hander Tayler Scott. Arizona would go on to lose 8-1 and drop the series.

Diamondbacks Manager Torey Lovullo Explains His Decision

In his weekly appearance on Arizona Sports 98.7's Burns & Gambo show, Lovullo was asked about that very decision. His response was quite candid:

"Sometimes I make decisions where I even scratch my own head, to be honest with you," Lovullo said. "At that point, I was just looking to get out of the inning. I felt like we could make pitches to him."

"After I watched the ball hit off the left-center field wall, I'm thinking, 'Well, that didn't work out the way I wanted it to.' ... To tell you the truth, we just didn't execute. We're not supposed to throw him a strike. There was potential for a lot of chase against that particular matchup [with Scott]. We just made the wrong pitch in the wrong space.

"But that's on me," Lovullo continued. "I could take the bat completely out of his hands, but I was trusting that we'd be able to execute and throw pitches well out of the zone, try to create some chase and get a quick easy out."

Did Lovullo's Decision Doom Diamondbacks?

Ultimately, it's unknown whether Guerrero's double was the deciding factor in the contest. After all, Arizona managed only one run on the night. Kevin Ginkel would later allow the Blue Jays to amass an 8-1 lead, while the D-backs' offense mustered only six total hits.

Diamondbacks On SI publisher and co-host of Snakes Territory Jack Sommers echoed what much of Arizona's fan base was likely thinking.