Left-hander Robbie Ray has been a nice addition to the Arizona Diamondbacks' starting rotation since returning last week. On Tuesday, he gave the D-backs something they have dearly missed of late -- length.
Ray became the first D-backs starter in 25 games to pitch into the seventh inning, despite taking a 3-1 loss in Los Angeles. He managed his pitch count as well as he has in his three outings, throwing 102 before being removed after a two-out walk to Chris Heisey that started the Dodgers' game-deciding rally.
"I'm just going out there trying to give my team a quality start," Ray told reporters.
Jeremy Hellickson was the last D-backs' starter to get into the seventh inning when he went 6 2/3 innings in a 4-3 victory at St. Louis on May 24.
The Dodgers strung together three base runners off reliever Addison Reed -- Yasiel Puig's double and Howie Kendrick's two-run single to break a tie at 1 bracketing an intentional walk of Adrian Gonzalez that loaded the bases.
But as the starters go deeper, the bullpen will be fresher, and the D-backs may be able to go back to a roster that includes 13 position players, which would give manager Chip Hale a little more flexibility with his bench. Entering the final game of the Dodgers' series on Wednesday, Brad Ziegler and Randall Delgado have had three days off, and Daniel Hudson has had four.
Ray is 1-1 with a 1.53 ERA in his three D-backs' starts this season, the last two after Archie Bradley was placed on the disabled list with shoulder tendinitis Thursday. Ray pitched five scoreless innings in a no-decision against the Mets that night, but he could not go out for the sixth after running his pitch count to 110.
On Tuesday, he gave up four hits, walked four and struck out four, the only damaging blow a two-out, opposite field homer by Kendrick in the sixth inning that tied the game at 1.
"He's commanding his pitches better, obviously, his fastball, and breaking ball and changeup," Hale told reporters. "In spring training to start out with, the curveball needed a lot of work, and Hark (pitching coach Mike Harkey) did a great job of getting that curveball going. He seemed to lose his changeup. Now he is throwing all three well and looks a lot better. There is still work to do.
"The walks with two outs and the leadoff walks, you just can't have that. It increases the pitch count and puts guys on base."
Ray walked one batter in his first 11 innings before issuing four walks Tuesday, although he pitched around the first three before Heisey's plate appearance in the seventh.
"That's something I've been working on all year, getting early contact and getting guys out early," Ray said. "You always have something to work on, and that's what it will be next time."
Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal said he liked what he saw from the 23-year-old Ray.
"He has a great arm," Grandal told FOX Sports Arizona's Jody Jackson. "He mixes his pitches real well and mixes his speeds, and that's one thing I like to see on a pitcher. You can't just concentrate on his fastball."
The D-backs, who believe in the pressure of the running game, were second in the National League in stolen bases with 52 entering the game, but they lost base runners in the first two innings attempting to add to that total.
Ender Inciarte was thrown out attempting to steal second base in the first inning on a 2-2 pitch to Paul Goldschmidt, when Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal made a nice pickup on a ball in the dirt and an accurate throw. David Peralta was caught on a bang-bang play attempting to steal second after leading of the second inning with a single.
Goldschmidt singled after Inciarte was thrown out in the first, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Nick Ahmed singled after Peralta was lost in the second, when Saltalamacchia scored the D-backs' only run on a two-out wild pitch by Carlos Frias.
"We always research what we can," manager Chip Hale told FOX Sports Arizona's Jody Jackson, talking about pitchers' delivery times and catchers' throwing times.
"We play aggressive. We are always going to do those things to push the envelope. That's just the way we play. Those could have cost us, but you never know how the inning is going to play out if they are still out there."
Hale hit the nail on the head, a point largely overlooked. It is impossible to know what pitches Frias would have thrown or what sequences he would have used had the stolen base attempts worked.
David Peralta made two sliding catches in left field, the first to keep the Dodgers from scoring in the fourth inning. With two out and two on, Peralta ran toward the line to catch a liner by Alberto Callaspo that would have scored at least one -- two if the ball had gotten past him.
4-6 -- The Dodgers' record against left-handed starters this season after eking out a win Tuesday.
*With the D-backs coming off a seven-game homestand, Paul Goldschmidt took over the lead in the fan balloting at first base for the NL All-Star team. Goldschmidt had a lead of 12,374 votes over Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who had been ahead in the first two weeks.
*Minor league hitting coordinator Chris Cron joined the D-backs' coaching staff in Los Angeles while hitting coach Kevin Ward returned home to attend to family matters. Cron will serve as an assistant to Mark Grace. Cron also may get a chance to see one of his sons from the opposite dugout at the end of the eight-game road trip, when the D-backs play a two-game series against the Los Angeles Angels. C.J. Cron was recalled by the Angeles last week. Cron's younger son, Kevin, was drafted by the D-backs last season and has 13 homers for Class A Visalia this year. The Crons attended Mountain Pointe High.
*The D-backs' starters have only four wins since May 12. Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, who will start Wednesday, has three in his last three starts. Chase Anderson has the other.
To this point, the NL West is bucking the pitcher-friendly reputation it has developed throughout the years. The D-backs lead the National League with 268 runs, with the Padres (264), Dodgers (262) and Rockies (261) filling the next three spots. Petco Park and Dodger Stadium are still regarded as pitcher's parks, but the Padres made a concerted effort to add offense in the offseason.
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