On Wednesday night, the Arizona Diamondbacks faced off against the Los Angeles Angels, suffering an 8-3 defeat that highlighted the struggles of pitcher Slade Cecconi. The young starter was unable to contain the Angels’ offense, allowing seven runs on ten hits over just 3.1 innings.
Cecconi’s troubles began early, as he surrendered a run in each of the first three innings. Notably, in the second inning, Zach Neto launched a solo home run, setting the tone for the Angels’ offensive surge. The game took a decisive turn in the fourth inning. After a pair of singles from Neto and Mickey Moniak, Jo Adell delivered a crushing blow with a three-run homer to left field. Cecconi’s outing ended shortly thereafter, having allowed one more hit—a double—before manager Torey Lovullo pulled him from the game without recording an out in the inning. Reliever Scott McGough came in but allowed Cecconi’s inherited runner to score, further inflating the starter’s stats.
This performance marked Cecconi’s fourth outing this season where he allowed six or more runs, all occurring since May 3rd. His record now stands at 1-5, with a 6.70 ERA. Cecconi, who had been demoted earlier in the season, was called back to the rotation due to an injury to ace Zac Gallen.
On the other side of the field, Angels pitcher Jose Soriano dominated the Diamondbacks’ lineup, throwing seven shutout innings. Soriano faced the minimum 21 batters, effectively utilizing his high-90s sinker to induce four ground ball double plays. He allowed just three hits and a walk, showcasing his ability to control the game. It wasn’t until the eighth inning that the Diamondbacks broke through. Christian Walker hit a towering solo home run, his 13th of the season, which sailed 451 feet into the left-center walkway, finally putting Arizona on the scoreboard. However, Soriano quickly regained his rhythm, striking out three of the next four batters to end the inning.
As the ninth inning unfolded, Soriano returned to the mound with hopes of completing the game. However, a leadoff single from Geraldo Perdomo prompted manager Ron Washington to call for relief. Matt Moore took over and, after one out, Ketel Marte launched a two-run homer—his 14th of the year—retaking the team lead in home runs from Walker.
With this loss, the Diamondbacks fell to 32-36, trailing the San Francisco Giants by 1.5 games for the third wild card spot. Looking ahead, the D-backs will aim to bounce back in the final game of the three-game series on Thursday night, sending Brandon Pfaadt to the mound against the Angels’ Griffin Canning.
The Diamondbacks will need to find consistency on the mound and continue to capitalize on offensive opportunities if they hope to remain in the postseason hunt.
