Diamondbacks drop below .500 as Merrill Kelly’s struggles deepen

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Merrill Kelly paused and sighed, asked after the Diamondbacks' 5-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays about his up and down season.

"I'm starting to run out of words for how bad I've been this year," the veteran right-handed pitcher said.

The Diamondbacks couldn’t contain Rays' rising star Junior Caminero, and couldn’t score enough runs in being swept in a three-game series for the fifth time this season.

The loss on Sunday, June 28, at Tropicana Field, with Caminero hitting his third home run in three games, saw the Diamondbacks finish the series with four runs scored in total. The Diamondbacks (41-42) are under .500 for the first time since they were 22-23 on May 17, and all of the series sweeps against them have come on the road.

Overall, the Diamondbacks have lost six of their last eight games.

Kelly (5-8) surrendered three home runs and has lost five consecutive starts. He continued his recent pattern of giving up five or more runs after allowing three or fewer in the previous start, which has been the case since the end of May.

"Just more of the same," he said. "Just missing pitches, bad counts."

Asked if his problems are anything mechanical affecting his command, Kelly said most of it stems from that.

"If we're not mechanically sound, the ball's not going to go where we want it to," Kelly said. "Keep pounding the pavement, keep improving, going back to the drawing board and keep working with the coaches and trust that we’re going to figure something to turn it around."

Kelly said this is the most frustrating stretch of his career since the second half of the 2019 season, though he put up some good starts in September of that year.

“We still have a half a season left, but as a whole on the year, definitely the poorest results, the poorest I’ve felt, the least I feel like I’m doing my job," Kelly said. "That part sucks probably the worst.

"Not doing what the team needs me to do, what the team counts on me to do every fifth day, I’ve mixed some good ones in there but as a whole, I think that’s the part that hurts the most."

Kelly has pitched five or more innings in his last 10 starts, including six on Sunday, but hasn’t been able to find consistency in back-to-back starts throughout June. He allowed five runs on eight hits, including solo home runs for the Rays' Cedric Mullins, Caminero and Ben Williamson, with three strikeouts and two walks.

It was the fifth time in 14 starts that Kelly has allowed multiple home runs.

"I’ve prided myself on being the one who can stop a slide or get us moving in the right direction, and this year I have not been able to do that," Kelly said. "I think that’s probably the more frustrating part.”

Ketel Marte hit his 15th home run of the season and second of the series in the top of the eighth inning, one of only four hits for the Diamondbacks. Geraldo Perdomo went 6-for-11 in the series, but it wasn't close to being enough.

The Diamondbacks had three runners in scoring position in the first four innings but couldn't score. They had runners at first and third in the top of the fourth inning with one out, but Nolan Arenado struck out and Ildemaro Vargas flied out to end the inning.

Diamondbacks left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was hit in the right shoulder with a pitch in the fourth inning but remained in the game despite being attended to by the training staff. He was stretching his shoulder on the wall in the outfield during a pause in the action in the fifth inning.

Manager Torey Lovullo said Gurriel, who has dealt with injuries this season, is fine.

But things aren't clicking at present, Lovullo said while giving credit to the Rays, one of the top teams in Major League Baseball.

"We've got to get this worm turned," Lovullo said. "We've got to get home and start playing our best baseball."

Next up is the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field, a team the Diamondbacks have dominated this season. But Lovullo didn't care about the opponent, saying he just wants to see his team play the brand of baseball they do to win games.

Coming up

Monday, June 29: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (6-2, 2.27) vs. Giants RHP Tyler Mahle (1-7, 5.49).

Tuesday, June 30: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (0-1, 5.92) vs. Giants RHP Landen Roupp (5-7, 4.07).

Wednesday, July 1: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (3-7, 6.15) vs. Giants RHP Trevor McDonald (2-6, 4.94).

(This story will be updated with more information.)