Travel complications lead to tough loss for D-backs in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE -- Even big league teams with their chartered air travel are not immune to the travel delays that vex us all at some point.

The Diamondbacks were reminded of that as their trip to Milwaukee on Sunday night stretched into the wee hours of Monday morning ahead of their 7-5 loss to the Brewers in the series opener at American Family Field.

It started when the plane they were supposed to fly to Milwaukee landed at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport on time in the midafternoon but experienced an issue with its brakes. Initially it didn’t seem like it would be a problem, but then Arizona director of team travel, Roger Riley, was informed that the plane was not going to be able to be used.

Delta Airlines, which handles the Diamondbacks charter flights, searched around for another plane and determined the only option would be to have the airplane being used to take the Reds from Phoenix to Los Angeles come back to Phoenix after dropping the Reds off.

That meant about a four-plus hour delay for the Diamondbacks, who spent that time hanging out in the clubhouse.

Some players chose to go to nearby restaurants to eat dinner, while others killed time playing games. Manager Torey Lovullo used the opportunity to get some of his baseball card collection of Arizona players signed.

“It was a really, really tough day for us,” Lovullo said. “You know, the loss [to the Reds], we had to absorb that, and then we had the five-or-six-hour delay, and everybody's had that in their lives. So we're not exempt from things that happen every single day to people that don't fly charter flights.”

Those who stayed in the clubhouse got to hear relief pitcher John Curtiss’ new album on Spotify.

“We were just shooting the breeze, doing things that a team would do when you have a rain delay or a plane delay,” Lovullo said.

While they relaxed, Riley’s blood pressure was high. While the delay was out of his control, it’s still bothersome to someone who sweats the details like he does.

But he kept the players updated with when the plane landed in Los Angeles, when it was returning to Phoenix. The Diamondbacks' equipment truck was already loaded up and waiting at Sky Harbor so they could begin putting it on the plane as soon as it landed.

When all was said and done, the Diamondbacks got to their hotel in downtown Milwaukee just shy of 4 a.m. MST and the luggage probably a half-hour after that.

In deference to the late arrival, Lovullo cancelled batting practice and allowed players to arrive at the clubhouse later than usual.

One thing he wasn’t going to do was use it as an excuse for the Diamondbacks falling behind 6-0 early to the Brewers before making things close.

"We got beat up early,” Lovullo said. “The guys were engaged, and they did their job the best way they knew how.”