Classic dominance helped propel E-Rod to 1st career All-Star selection  

SAN DIEGO -- It was the World Baseball Classic championship game and Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo and pitching coach Brian Kaplan were locked in on the contest featuring Team USA against Venezuela.

Chances are both would have been watching the game regardless, but they were paying especially close attention because Arizona left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez was on the mound for Venezuela.

Lovullo and general manager Mike Hazen have a long history with Rodriguez, dating back to his days pitching for the Red Sox. Their belief in him led them to inking the veteran to a four-year, $80 million contract prior to the 2024 season.

Rodriguez's first two years in Arizona didn't go the way anyone hoped or expected, with injuries severely limiting him in 2024, and then in 2025, he never seemed to get himself on track.

• D-backs 4, Padres 10

Back to March when Lovullo and Kaplan were tuned in to Rodriguez's outing, the pair were more focused on whether Rodriguez would get to the pitch count they were hoping he would in order to keep him in line to be ready for the start of the regular season.

Then, in the bottom of the third Rodriguez threw a 2-2 changeup to Byron Buxton, who waved at the pitch and Lovullo and Kaplan both did a double take.

"We both commented on the changeup to Buxton," Lovullo said. "It was a pitch that nobody had really seen him throw. I don't think Buxton prepared for it, and when he swung and missed it, I think there was something that was hatched there."

Rodriguez was outstanding in that outing for Venezuela, tossing 4 1/3 scoreless innings en route to capturing the WBC title.

The game gave Rodriguez some real momentum heading into the regular season, and it seems to build with every outing.

"It was just a confidence booster," Kaplan said. “It was a huge start for him and he put his country on his shoulders and did what he needed to do to help them win against a tough lineup. I felt like it just gave him the confidence to make him feel like he still has everything he needs to have to be successful. It was cool to see the change, the psychological change, and for him to keep that momentum going forward."

Rodriguez rolled into the regular season and continued to stack good start upon good start, resulting in his first All-Star selection in his 11th big league season.

"After all these years, it's really special to have the opportunity to finally go to one," Rodriguez said. "I thought I was never going to go to one because I'm usually better in the second half. I'm just really happy about it."

Lovullo reveled in the fact that he got to be the one to let Rodriguez know that he was finally an All-Star.

"It was a great moment," Lovullo said. "Because I've watched him since he was 19 years old and he was just cutting his teeth, and in no way, shape, or form was he ever thinking about being an All-Star at that time. I'm just honored that I was the first manager to tell him he gets that nod. I get attached to these guys, and I've known him since 2015-16ish. I celebrated with him and we had a good moment together."

Another lesson that Rodriguez took away from his WBC experience was to stick to the pregame plan and not drift away from it during a game based on emotion.

Kaplan sees it as Rodriguez trusting in his catcher more and in the work that is done pregame.

"I decided during the WBC that I was going to follow the plan no matter what," Rodriguez said. "I was going to execute the plan and whatever happened would happen, but at least I was following the plan. That's been working for me during the [season], too."