As far as losses go, yesterday's Arizona Diamondbacks' 4-3 extra-inning loss to the San Diego Padres didn't seem to be that big of a deal, all things considered.
But to the team's front office, however, it might have been the last straw, as manager Bob Melvin got his pink slip last night.
Bye-bye, Bobby. Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out.
As for the game itself, the final nine innings in the Melvin era were much like any other loss this year: filled with frustration, missed opportunities, and offensive ineptitude.
With Dan Haren (3-3, 1.43 ERA) handling the ball, it appeared as though Arizona had a better-than-average chance at nabbing a win, especially after he helped his cause by doubling in Chris Snyder in the second inning. Haren was driven home from second base shortly thereafter to put his team up 2-0 when Augie Ojeda made a sac-fly. But the D-Backs pitching ace (who's been the most consistent performer on the roster this season) must not have had his Wheaties this morning, as he allowed a pair of RBI singles by the Padres in the fifth to knot things up.
It's a situation that was repeated itself in the next frame as Justin Upton scored from third after Eric Byrnes popped out, only to have San Diego answer back with a Nick Hundley double that plated Kevin Kouzmanoff. The bullpen trio of Juan Gutierrez, Scott Schoeneweis, and Esmerling Vasquez managed to keep things scoreless until the 10th inning (when a David Eckstein walk-off single ended the game), but their teammates couldn't manufacture a run. It wasn't for a lack of opportunity, however, as both Felipe Lopez and Upton on base with only one away in the seventh. Overall, the Snakes have gone 0-24 with runners in scoring position over the past four games.
Let's hope A.J. Hinch, the D-Backs' director of player development who will be named as Melvin's successor later today, can find a way to fix that (as well as the team's numerous other problems).
