PHOENIX (AP) — Miami Marlins manager Don Mattlingly has preached the importance of the first inning, and Adam Conley confirmed Mattingly’s fears Sunday.
“We’ve talked about the first inning before,” Mattingly said following the Marlins’ 6-0 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. “For starting pitchers that is always a dangerous thing. Today it was really dangerous for us.”
Conley was undone by a four-run first inning during which the Diamondbacks strung together three singles, a walk and Peter O’Brien’s three-run home run. Another batter reached base on catcher’s interference, further fueling the inning.
“I think it’s a ball if he took it, down and in,” Conley said of O’Brien’s home run. “When I throw the ball down there guys don’t usually do that. If I had to throw that pitch again, I would do it again.”
Conley (3-4) settled in to a degree but still allowed six runs, five earned, on 11 hits over five innings. He walked one and struck out two, matching a season low.
Arizona extended the lead to 5-0 in the second when Paul Goldschmidt doubled down the left-field line and scored on a single by Wellington Castillo. Goldschmidt drove in a run in the fourth with a single, scoring Jean Segura to put the Diamondbacks ahead 6-0.
Conley had allowed a total of seven hits over his past 12 innings spanning two starts.
“He has had good and bad,” Mattingly said, “The last start he gave up a couple of homers in that game but he threw the ball good. There have been ups and downs. I guess that’s what we have to expect from a young pitcher.”
It was another young pitcher, Arizona starter Robbie Ray (3-5), who held the Marlins’ offense in check. Miami managed only three hits over Ray’s 7 2/3 innings. Ray walked one, struck out six and did not allow a Miami runner into scoring position.
Paul Goldschmidt doubled, singled, scored twice and drove in a run for the Diamondbacks, who won the final two games of the three-game series
The Marlins were shut out at Chase Field for the first time since August 27, 2012.
“They kind of punched us early in the first inning and we never really got off the mat,” Mattingly said. “It kind of knocked us out right there.”
ICHIRO UPDATE
Ichiro Suzuki, four hits shy of unofficially tying Pete Rose’s hit record when his Japanese and major-league stats are combined, came on as a pinch-hitter in the ninth and walked on five pitches.
CALL REVERSED
Mattingly successfully challenged a call in the bottom of the third inning. O’Brien lofted a high pop-up toward second baseman Derek Dietrich, who caught the ball briefly before it fell to the ground. Umpires originally ruled Dietrich had dropped the ball outright but after a 2:17 review, it was determined he was in the process of transferring the ball to his throwing hand after the catch was made.
PRADO ON THE ROAD
Martin Prado, who entered the game with a major-league leading .412 batting average on the road, had one of the Marlins’ three hits against Robbie Ray and two relievers.
UP NEXT
Marlins: LHP Wei-Yin Chin (3-2, 4.56 ERA) starts for the Marlins on Monday in San Diego as Miami opens a three-game series against RHP Colin Rea (3-2, 4.74) and the Padres.
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