This is how messing with a good thing goes -- not that Archie Bradley had any control over the messing.
The Diamondbacks pitcher lost his impressive rhythm on the mound when he took a comebacker in the face more than two weeks ago. His first start back from a disabled list stint on Saturday ended in a 7-5 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.
"I feel like I prepared myself as best I could to be ready for this. It was just a bad game," Bradley told FOX Sports Arizona's Jody Jackson.
It quickly became Bradley's worst outing of 2015. Phillies outfielder Jeff Francoeur began the stormy night by drilling a fastball over the left field fence in the second inning. It was the first homer off Bradley in 21 2/3 innings this year.
Bradley didn't get much help from his defense. Philadelphia's Ryan Howard teed off for an RBI double in the third, thought it was a catchable ball right fielder Mark Trumbo fumbled near the wall.
Bradley gave up an RBI single to Chase Utley hit an RBI single and that was it for the rookie before the game went into a rail delay. Bradley recorded just six outs and allowed four earned runs on 59 pitches. He struggled with command, and it showed in his three walks.
"He did struggle with his command and when he came over the plate they hit him," D-backs manager Chip Hale said. "Not unexpected. It's tough to come back after 15 days and pitch after what he went through. He'll be better next time. It's part of the development. He's not a finished product at all."
Arizona responded in the fourth, when with two outs shortstop Nick Ahmed singled to score second baseman Chris Owings from second.
Paul Goldschmidt drilled a two-run home run in the fifth to bring the D-backs within a run, but the Phillies added three runs on Arizona pitchers Andrew Chafin and Enrique Burgos in the bottom of the fifth to put themselves out of reach.
"I'm very proud of the position players for battling," Hale said.
Yasmany Tomas lined a hard single that was perhaps two feet from clearing the fence in the second inning, but he finally cranked up enough power to take one out of the park in the eighth. Hale had answered questions about Tomas' lack of power in recent week, saying it is usually the last aspect to come for an inexperienced MLB hitter. The skipper said he's seen the Cuban's power in batting practice, and it showed when Tomas took a fastball from Ken Giles opposite field -- thus proving Hale's assertion that Tomas has more bat control than people give him credit for. "Great swing; he really went after it," Hale said.
* After losing his closer's job, Addison Reed debuted as a sixth inning reliever Saturday. He gave up a double to Sizemore to begin the frame, but struck out Howard and enduced Franco and Francoeur into a fly outs. Reed pitched a clean seventh. "I thought Addison Reed did a nice job tonight, Hale said, "coming in and working on some stuff and getting us through a couple innings."
* Owings had himself a game, and it's part of a trend. Owings finished 3-for-4, and in the past week his average crept up from .210 to .270. It seems he's found his bat after a rough start to the season.
* Utley came into the game batting .124, the worst in the majors. But he recorded two RBI with a single in the third and then double in the fifth. FiveThirtyEight.com called him statistically the unluckiest of baseball players heading into Saturday, but he certainly turned the tables for a game.
6 -- home runs by Goldschmidt on the first pitches of at-bats. His homer against Philly was his 10th of the year.
During a rain delay that lasted over an hour, the Twitter accounts of the D-backs and Phillies coordinated a long-distance game of emoji Rock, Paper, Scissors.
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