D-backs rally before dropping 11th straight

PHOENIX -- Each day, the D-backs show up in the clubhouse believing that things are about to change for the better, that this will be the day the losing streak stops.

For the last 11 games, though, and 20 of the last 23, the result has been the same -- a loss.

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The latest setback came Thursday night when the Cardinals got an RBI double from Yadier Molina in the 10th inning to beat the D-backs, 5-4, at Chase Field.

The 11-game losing streak matches the second-longest drought in club history. The D-backs last lost 11 in a row in 2004. The longest losing streak in franchise history is 14 games, which also occurred during the '04 season.

"Baseball is a new day every day," veteran catcher Stephen Vogt said. "It’s a new opportunity. There’s no hangover from one day to the next. When we show up to the field, we’ve got music playing, everybody is expecting to go out and win. Everybody is working. We expect ourselves to win. That’s what I mean by the mood is good. When we show up, we are excited to play, we are excited to win. And we think we’re going to win. We believe we’re going to win because we’re a good team and we’re good enough to win every single day. We just haven’t in a while."

Vogt was quick to clarify that there are plenty of other emotions percolating as well.

"Obviously, people are frustrated," he said. "Obviously, we’re [ticked]. Obviously, we do not like the way the results have been going the last couple weeks. We’re working our backsides off. We’re just coming up on the short end."

There have been moments during the streak when it looked like the D-backs were finally going to break through, only to watch it slip away again.

On Thursday night, that happened in the seventh when, after being no-hit for six innings, the D-backs chased Cardinals starter Carlos Martínez from the game with three straight hits to open the seventh.

Pavin Smith greeted reliever Daniel Cabrera with a two-run double, and it seemed like the D-backs were ready to break the game open. Instead, they cut the Cardinals’ lead to 4-3. And then one inning later, they tied the game on an RBI double by Smith.

"There’s certain times where we have a chance to do it and break a game open and we just haven’t been able to get that big hit at the right time," D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said.

Lovullo has tried changing the lineup, he's even had meetings with his team.

"You guys want me to tell you that I’m throwing chairs around the clubhouse and kicking and screaming," Lovullo said. "I’ve delivered the messages that I feel like I need to deliver. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? I just follow my instincts, follow what’s happening in the room and deliver the best message possible. That’s what I believe in, and that’s what I’ll continue to do."

Lovullo will often spend his car ride home talking on the phone with general manager Mike Hazen or his wife, Kristen.

"I’ve got to offload it, too," he said. "This team, I want to never have a bad day in front of this team, that's the main thing for me. I need to show them that I'm engaged in here and believe in them and make good baseball decisions."

On Thursday, D-backs players showered and trudged out of the ballpark, heading home eager to put this game behind them and find a way to show up on Friday believing that it will finally be the day that things turn.

"It’s been tough mentally, physically, emotionally, you name it," Vogt said. "We’re working hard. Man, we’re working hard. And it’s really frustrating."