In an attempt to bolster Slade Cecconi’s chances of success against the formidable Los Angeles Dodgers lineup, the Arizona Diamondbacks opted to use an opener strategy. Unfortunately, the plan backfired on Monday night, resulting in a disappointing 6-4 loss at Dodger Stadium.
Cecconi, who had been anticipated to thrive in this setup, struggled significantly, allowing six runs in a disastrous third inning. However, a silver lining emerged as he retired the final 12 batters he faced, demonstrating resilience after the rough start.
“It slipped away in a hurry,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo remarked. “In this environment, our young pitchers need to be ready to step up and find a way to stop the bleeding.”
Cecconi’s performance mirrors a troubling trend from his debut season in 2023, where he consistently struggled the first time through the order. This prompted Lovullo and the coaching staff to consider a different approach, particularly since Cecconi was set to face the Dodgers for the first time in his career. With left-handed hitters like former MVPs Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman positioned prominently in the lineup, Lovullo believed it would be wiser to have southpaw Joe Mantiply start the game. After discussing the strategy, Cecconi was onboard with the decision.
“Cecconi came to my office with his notebook for a ten-minute meeting,” Lovullo explained. “I was brutally honest, and he took it back to the drawing board.”
The initial part of the strategy worked well. Mantiply got Mookie Betts to line out and then faced a surprise when Ohtani bunted. Although Mantiply managed to field the ball, his throw was slightly off, allowing Ohtani to reach first safely. However, Ohtani’s single was quickly erased by a double play from Freeman. Cecconi took the mound in the second inning, successfully navigating around a one-out single to post a scoreless frame.
The third inning, however, proved to be a nightmare for Cecconi. He allowed Kiké Hernández to lead off with a home run, and shortly after, the bases were loaded due to two singles and a walk to Ohtani. Freeman then hit a grand slam, followed by a home run from Will Smith, marking the first time in Cecconi’s career he allowed three home runs in a single game before recording an out.
“I was definitely out of whack early on,” Cecconi admitted. “I wasn’t using my offspeed pitches effectively and was moving inconsistently down the rubber. That led to those early struggles.” Some team members speculated that Cecconi may have been tipping his pitches; however, Lovullo emphasized that the Dodgers earned their runs “fair and square.”
Despite the rocky start, Cecconi made adjustments following Smith’s homer. He proceeded to retire the next 12 batters, including Ohtani and Freeman in the fifth inning. Overall, Cecconi finished with five innings pitched, yielding six hits and a walk while striking out two batters on 80 pitches. “Everything just synced up mechanically,” he explained. “After I made those adjustments, it was how I want to pitch every inning. It’s unfortunate that the third inning unfolded the way it did.”
With a 6.12 ERA across six appearances (five starts), there’s uncertainty regarding Cecconi’s next outing in the majors, a decision Lovullo has yet to confirm. Another question remains whether the Diamondbacks will consider using the opener strategy with Cecconi again in the future.
“We haven’t had that discussion yet,” Lovullo stated. “But we liked how the opener worked against the first three hitters with Mantiply. How we approach this in the future will be determined in the coming days.”
As the Diamondbacks navigate their pitching strategy, they will be closely monitoring Cecconi’s development and performance in hopes of maximizing his potential moving forward.
