Diamondbacks Stifled Again in Demoralizing Sweep vs Astros

The Arizona Diamondbacks were swept by the Houston Astros by a score of 4-3 on Wednesday, ending a demoralizing three-game set on a sour note. Brandon Pfaadt pitched well until the sixth inning, but familiar bullpen and offensive woes made the ultimate difference.

The D-backs have undone all the progress made by their sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals out of the break.

Arizona plays just six more games until the trade deadline, at which they are all but confirmed to sell.

Arizona Diamondbacks' Brandon Pfaadt

Pfaadt navigated a 21-pitch first inning, working around a leadoff walk. From there, he settled in for four more scoreless innings. He worked his way out of traffic in three of them.

Pfaadt ended his day with 5.1 innings pitched, five hits, two walks, and two earned runs, striking out five. His second earned run was an inherited runner plated by Andrew Saalfrank.

The trouble began early in the sixth inning. Pfaadt served up a leadoff double to former Diamondback Christian Walker, then another to Yainer Diaz. That set up runners at second and third with no outs.

Pfaadt dialed up a routine ground ball, but Geraldo Perdomo couldn't pick it up. A run scored and everyone was safe.

A flyout ended Pfaadt's outing in favor of Saalfrank, who quickly threw a wild pitch to give Houston a 2-1 lead.

Kevin Ginkel came into a tie game in the ninth, and gave up back-to-back bunt singles, followed by a dribbling ground ball up the middle by former Diamondback Christian Walker to give Houston the eventual winning run.

Arizona Diamondbacks' Offense Lackluster Again

In their three-game series with the Astros, Arizona scored a total of seven runs. Granted, they have faced an excellent group pitching effort from Houston, but they once again couldn't come away with the big hit despite multiple opportunities on Wednesday.

The first D-backs run came in the first inning, as Ketel Marte crushed his 20th homer of the season to left field on the first pitch he saw for a 1-0 lead. Marte finished 2-for-5.

The eighth inning offered Arizona's best chance to regain the lead. Perdomo doubled, Marte singled, and Corbin Carroll ripped a double down the line to close the gap to 3-2.

Josh Naylor then dropped a bloop single into no-man's land in right field. While the tying run scored, the speedy Carroll was held at third, serving as the go-ahead run. Arizona would not manage another base hit.

Perdomo knocked his fourth base hit of the day with two outs in the ninth, finishing 4-for-4, but Marte would strike out to strand the tying run.

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