Arizona’s Corbin Carroll was 0-for-5 in his return Saturday after missing more than two weeks with a fractured left wrist, but the Diamondbacks will need his contributions to get out of their doldrums.
Despite their 7-1 win over the Kansas City Royals in Phoenix on Saturday, the Diamondbacks have lost seven of their last 10 games entering Sunday afternoon’s rubber game of the series.
Carroll, the team’s right fielder and leadoff hitter, is batting .251 with 20 home runs and 44 RBIs this season.
He has impressed teammates by returning to the lineup so quickly.
“He just wants to help the team win,” third baseman Eugenio Suarez said. “And he’s hungry to play. He’s a guy who loves this game and just wants to be out in the field. It’s very impressive because with the fracture he has, they said he might be lost for like a month, but he’s back (much sooner). It’s awesome for us. For me, I was very happy to see him back in the lineup.”
Said manager Torey Lovullo: “I’m grateful for the commitment and the dedication. He’s one of our best players and one of the best players in the National League, and the fact he’s in the lineup is going to give us a much-needed boost.”
Right-hander Anthony DeSclafani (0-0, 4.82 ERA) is Arizona’s scheduled starter on Sunday. He has one previous appearance against the Royals in his career. He got a no-decision in a start, while with the San Francisco Giants on April 9, 2023. DeSclafani allowed a run on three hits in 6 1/3 innings, did not walk a batter and struck out seven in a 3-1 Giants victory.
Kansas City was stifled by Ryne Nelson on Saturday. He retired the first 16 Royals in order and allowed a run and four hits over seven innings. Nelson did not walk a batter and struck out five.
Kansas City’s only offense came in the sixth inning. Freddy Fermin singled with one out to become the Royals’ first base runner. Jonathan India singled one out later, and Bobby Witt Jr. followed with an RBI single. Center fielder Alek Thomas then came to Nelson’s rescue by denying Kansas City more runs when he made a sliding catch coming in on Vinnie Pasquantino’s liner with two outs and runners on first and third to end the inning.
“We were another hit away from a couple more runs,” India said. “The center fielder made a really good play on Vinnie’s ball. So it just didn’t go our way.”
The Royals will send right-hander Michael Lorenzen (4-8, 4.95 ERA) to the mound on Sunday. He’s 2-1 with a 3.26 ERA in nine career games against the Diamondbacks.
The last time Lorenzen faced them, he was a member of the Detroit Tigers. That was on June 9, 2023, when he started and took the loss by giving up six earned runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. Lorenzen walked a batter and struck out three. The D-backs won 11-6.
–Field Level Media
