PHOENIX, May 29 \u2014 Arizona Diamondbacks<\/a> starting pitcher Seth Frankoff struggled early, hitting two St. Louis Cardinals<\/a> batters in the first three innings while surrendering six runs. It eventually led to a 7\u20134 Cardinals victory, handing the struggling Diamondbacks their 13th straight loss. Cardinals left fielder Tyler O’Neill went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a home run, three RBI, and two runs scored to lead the charge.<\/p>\n Frankoff hit Tommy Edman with the third pitch of the game, and it was mostly downhill from there for the host Diamondbacks. A one-out single by first baseman Paul Goldschmidt advanced Edman to second. Two batters later, veteran catcher Yadier Molina singled Edman home, giving the visitors a 1\u20130 lead.<\/p>\n More scoring came when the Cardinals batted around in the third. Edman led off with a single before center fielder Dylan Carlson hit an apparent double play grounder to second. Josh Rojas tried to throw the ball to Nick Ahmed, covering second, before he actually fielded the ball. The mental lapse cost the Diamondbacks a chance at the double play, though Rojas recovered the ball in time to throw Carlson out at first. After Goldschmidt walked and Frankoff plunked Nolan Arenado, Molina laced a two-run single to left. David Peralta\u2019s errant throw home allowed Molina to advance to second as Arenado reached third.<\/p>\n Those two scored on a double by O\u2019Neill, whose offensive prowess has tormented the Diamondbacks all series. O\u2019Neill later scored on a grounder to second by Justin Williams, making the score 6\u20130. It became 7\u20130 in the top of the fifth on a solo homer by O\u2019Neill.<\/p>\n It seemed like the rout was on, but the Diamondbacks scored a pair of runs in both the fifth and the sixth to make a game of it. Pavin Smith led off the bottom of the fifth with a single and later scored on a home run by catcher Stephen Vogt. The sixth saw the Diamondbacks chase veteran starter Adam Wainwright out of the game after a walk by Eduardo Escobar, a double by Peralta, and a two-run single by Christian Walker, in his first game back from the injured list. Walker reached third on a single by Smith off left-handed reliever Genesis Cabrera. After Ahmed struck out, Vogt walked to load the bases.<\/p>\n Up came the pitcher\u2019s spot. The pinch-hitter was the switch-hitting Domingo Leyba, who is 0-for-the-season. Only two other options existed \u2014 catcher Carson Kelly (.298 average) or lefty Josh Reddick (.248 average since 2018 against righties; .286 average since 2018 against lefties). Leyba flied to left, but it was not deep enough to score Walker from third. A full-count grounder to short by Rojas ended the inning with the bases left loaded but the gap narrowed to 7\u20134.<\/p>\n The bottom of the ninth saw a leadoff double by Rojas and a walk by Ketel Marte, bringing the tying run to the plate. A wild pitch put the runners on second and third. Escobar flied to left before David Peralta struck out. This brought up Walker, who ran the count full before ending the game with a strikeout.<\/p>\n After the game, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said about using Leyba, \u201cWe had a couple of choices there. Carson was one; I just didn\u2019t feel comfortable playing the last three innings without a backup catcher. I just felt like Leyba was going to put the bat on the ball. He was going to barrel the ball up and give us an opportunity to score a run there. Obviously, it didn\u2019t work out.\u201d<\/p>\n Lovullo also said that the Diamondbacks, after falling so far behind early, \u201ccouldn\u2019t close that gap. We had some early opportunities \u2014 kept pounding, kept trying, but just didn\u2019t execute some crucial situations offensively.\u201d<\/p>\n Vogt expressed how frustrated the team is. \u201cWe\u2019re in every game. We are right there \u2014 the tying run at the plate, the winning run at the plate. One play away, one hit away, one pitch away from winning these games, and just not getting it done. We\u2019re frustrated, upset, not happy. Yet we\u2019re a resilient, fighting group who never gives up. We don\u2019t cave \u2014 we don\u2019t fold. We\u2019ll fight until the 27th out.\u201d Vogt is confident that they \u201care going to break out, very soon. We feel that way every day.\u201d<\/p>\n Main Photo:Cardinals Whack Diamondbacks with Early Offensive Explosion<\/h3>\n
Fighting Back but Coming Up Short<\/h3>\n
Postgame Reflections<\/h3>\n
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>