Diamondbacks’ Pfaadt Struggles in Historic First Inning Against Nationals
PHOENIX — In a shocking display of pitching, Arizona Diamondbacks’ shortstop Geraldo Perdomo admitted he had never witnessed a first inning like Saturday’s against the Washington Nationals. Starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt faced an unprecedented challenge, allowing eight earned runs without recording an out in the team’s eventual 11-7 loss. Pfaadt took responsibility for his performance, calling it "unacceptable" and vowed to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
The Diamondbacks fell behind 10-0 before even stepping to the plate, with the Nationals scoring 11 runs by the second inning—a feat seldom seen in Major League Baseball history. Despite the overwhelming deficit, the D-backs showed resilience, nearly bringing the tying run to the plate in the eighth inning. However, a critical decision by third base coach Shaun Larkin resulted in Pavin Smith being thrown out at home, halting their comeback efforts.
As the D-backs suffer through a four-game losing streak, they now sit at 27-31 after a promising start just weeks prior. “Nobody likes to lose; we hate losing,” said Perdomo. Manager Torey Lovullo praised his team’s grit despite the early setback but acknowledged it was a lot to overcome.
Pfaadt’s struggles began when he hit CJ Abrams with an 0-2 pitch. Over his brief outing, he surrendered six hits and two hit-by-pitches, forcing Lovullo to address significant inconsistency in Pfaadt’s pitches.
Despite a shaky start, Arizona’s bullpen displayed resilience, with standout performances from Jeff Brigham and Ryne Nelson, who pitched a combined eight scoreless innings. As they prepare to close out the homestand, the team looks to Corbin Burnes to help regain momentum against the Nationals in Sunday’s matchup.
The game is set to start at 1:10 p.m. and will be available on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app.
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