Ventura seeks urgency after 'flat' baseball

OAKLAND -- A day after his team looked hapless in a 5-1 loss, manager Robin Ventura repeatedly used the word "flat" to describe his team's performance.

Considering that offensive sparkplug Adam Eaton (right hamstring strain) and ace Chris Sale (flexor muscle strain) are still on the 15-day disabled list with respective injuries, and outfielder Avisail Garcia (torn labrum) will miss the season, Ventura said his team can't afford to play uninspired ball.

"It was just flat the whole time," Ventura said. "In the position that we're in with as many guys hurt, and the way we're trying to get through this period right now, you just can't come out flat. You don't want to see it happen any time, but I think there's exceptions to it. But right now, you can't play that way."

As good as D-backs starter Chase Anderson looked in giving up one run on two hits over 5 1/3 innings Sunday, Ventura said it was a matter of his team executing.

"It has nothing to do with that," Ventura said. "I can tell the way we are by the way it is in our dugout. I can tell and know what it's like. It's not like I haven't had a day where I felt flat. But you can either give into it or you can try to change it, and I don't think anybody tried to change it."