Arizona Diamondbacks: Chip Hale’s Curious Decision
By Jason Burke
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a lost cause this season, and during Wednesday’s matchup with the San Francisco Giants, manager Chip Hale likely cost his team the game.
Amidst rumors about who will still be around with the Arizona Diamondbacks come next season, Chip Hale seemingly gave Wednesday’s game away against the Giants, who are struggling to hold onto a playoff berth.
San Francisco jumped out to a 2-0 lead after an RBI double from Buster Posey and a single from Hunter Pence. With Shelby Miller returning from the minors for the start, it looked like it could be a long day for the desert dwellers.
Yet, Miller settled down and kept the game close, finishing with six innings pitched and allowing just those two runs while striking out three. The D-Backs cut the deficit to one on an RBI groundout from Jean Segura in the sixth, after which Rickie Weeks singled and stole second before Yasmany Tomas struck out to end the inning.
The Giants scored two more off the Arizona bullpen in the bottom of the seventh, pushing their lead to 4-1 as the top of the eighth rolled around.
And here’s where it gets interesting.
The Diamondbacks loaded the bases, and Tomas, who had struck out with a runner in scoring position in his previous at-bat, was due up with two out and a chance to tie the game with a base hit. On the season Tomas has 27 homers and has driven in 64 runs, but his on-base percentage is a bit low at .305. In his career, Tomas has collected just four hits in 25 at-bats with the bases loaded for an average of .160, while also striking out 14 times.
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The Giants brought in their closer Santiago Casilla to face Tomas. Jake Lamb, who was snubbed from the All-Star game and has a wRC+ of 119 on the season was available on the bench. He also hit a game-tying homer off Casilla earlier in the season.
With Lamb left on the bench, Tomas struck out for the fourth time on the afternoon to end the Diamondbacks threat, and best chance at at least tying the game.
Castilla still needed to record three outs to save the game, although a 4-1 lead with the bases empty provided him plenty of cushion for when he did face Lamb in the top of the ninth. Lamb homered.
The only real reason for not bringing in Lamb with the bases loaded in the eighth would be because you’re not comfortable playing him in left, where Tomas was stationed. The obvious comeback to that would be that if you don’t at least tie the game, it doesn’t matter what your defensive alignment is.
The Diamondbacks should have won yesterday afternoon, but in a season full of disappointment in the desert, the outcome is hardly surprising.