D-backs drop 5th straight: 'We’ve got to find that path again'

MINNEAPOLIS -- As the past month has spiraled for the D-backs, they were left looking for positives and knowing they were close after a series of one-run games.

Saturday’s 12-1 loss in Minnesota had a different feel for Arizona and manager Torey Lovullo.

The 11-run deficit marked the second-worst loss of the season and the worst since the team’s struggles began towards the start of July. The D-backs’ two hits against the Twins were a season-low, while a series of pitchers gave up four homers to Minnesota.

“This isn’t anything we ever expect and, look, it’s supposed to be hard,” Lovullo said. “I want these guys to keep fighting. We’ve got something that’s sitting right in front of us. We all know what it is and we can’t get distracted by any black noise. We have to go out, fight together and believe together and allow something like this that happened today to never happen again this year.”

Ryne Nelson (6-6) allowed six runs in three innings. Left-handed relievers Joe Mantiply and Tyler Gilbert combined to allow four runs in three innings before Paul Sewald made his D-backs debut with a perfect eighth, in which he struck out the side.

But the offense again struggled against Twins right-hander Kenta Maeda. Arizona has scored eight runs during its five-game losing streak. The D-backs are 8-21 since July 1.

“I saw a couple hits, a home run and a heady bunt play, and then after that it was lockdown,” Lovullo said. “We’ve got to be better than that.”

The D-backs led 1-0 after Lourdes Gurriel Jr. homered for the second straight game in the second inning. Jace Peterson followed with a bunt single, and then Arizona didn’t have a hit the rest of the game.

There’s frustration from the D-backs, but they believe they’ll recover.

“It’s not fun when you’re losing a game, that kind of game like this,” Ketel Marte said. “It’s not fun. I’m not going to be happy after a loss in a game like that, but you know. … We’re going to be good.”

Lovullo was waiting for a save opportunity to give Sewald the ball for the first time after the trade from Seattle. Instead, with a day off on Monday, Sewald pitched Saturday and said he’d be available Sunday.

As a newcomer, Sewald offers a fresh perspective but also believes his new team will see better days.

“We’re going to be just fine,” Sewald said. “We’re 1 1/2 back of a playoff spot. As much as it feels like we may never win again, we’re 1 1/2 back and the last time I checked, you can make up 1 1/2 in seven weeks. We’re going to be just fine.”

Perhaps most troubling for Lovullo was he felt a lack of focus after the D-backs were down big early. Minnesota put three-run innings together in the second and third off Nelson.

“This team’s good enough to come back from any deficit,” Lovullo said. “I believe that. There’s good players that are sitting in that locker room, and that’s why I feel like we’re going to come out the other side. That’s why I come up here and I talk about the positive things, but there are some things that I feel like I need to challenge myself with and these players with.

“But, yeah, I think we lost a little bit of focus at 7-1, and that’s unfortunate, because this team’s come back from large deficits. We have a long way to go. We’ve got to find that path again.”