Jordan Montgomery will attempt to bounce back from a woeful outing when the Arizona Diamondbacks try to complete a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday afternoon in Phoenix.
Montgomery (3-3, 5.48 ERA) allowed eight runs, six earned, and nine hits in just four innings while taking a loss against the New York Mets on Friday. It marked the second time in eight starts this season that he allowed at least six earned runs.
Montgomery hasn’t come close to matching the form he displayed late last season with the Texas Rangers. His troubles are partially tied to not having spring training to work up his arm strength.
Montgomery was a free agent until signing a one-year, $25 million deal with Arizona in late March. He made his Diamondbacks debut on April 19 when he defeated the Giants.
“I’m not making any more excuses,” Montgomery said after the loss to the Mets. “I just have to be better.”
Montgomery was the postseason ace of the Texas team that defeated the Diamondbacks in five games in the World Series last fall.
He went 4-2 with a 2.79 ERA in 11 regular-season starts with the Rangers after being acquired by the St. Louis Cardinals. Montgomery went 3-1 with a 2.90 ERA in six appearances (five starts) in the postseason.
Though Montgomery says his sinker hasn’t been effective, Arizona manager Torey Lovullo points to the 31-year-old’s inactivity in February and March as the bigger problem.
“Spring training is a great time of the year,” Lovullo said. “You step into the clubhouse when it’s dark. You eat breakfast, sit down with your boys, go out and get your work in. You can’t replace that time. It’s a challenge. I know it’s a challenge.”
Montgomery allowed one run and four hits over six innings in his April win at San Francisco. He is 1-1 with a 1.96 ERA in three career starts against the Giants.
Montgomery has fared well against Jorge Soler (2-for-15, one homer), Michael Conforto (2-for-11) and Matt Chapman (3-for-16).
The Giants have dropped a season-worst six consecutive games, and manager Bob Melvin was perturbed after the team’s 8-5 setback on Tuesday.
“That was a terrible game by us today, especially the early portion of the game,” Melvin said. “When you’re going through losing streaks, at least you fight. For the most part, we have. That was an awful game.
“We made it interesting at the end, but we didn’t play well. … This was a bad game and a bad stretch for us.”
The Giants trailed by six before Mike Yastrzemski belted a pinch-hit, three-run homer in the eighth. San Francisco had just six hits, left nine runners on base and went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
“We had their starter (Blake Walston) on the ropes every inning and couldn’t cash in,” Melvin said.
Right-hander Jordan Hicks (4-2, 2.70 ERA) will be on the mound for the Giants in the series finale. He lost to the New York Yankees on Friday when he gave up five runs (four earned) and seven hits over 5 1/3 innings.
Hicks, 27, has allowed one earned run or none in seven of his 12 starts, but he pitched more than five innings in only three of those outings.
One of those starts was against Arizona on April 21, when gave up one run and one hit in five innings. He walked four and struck out none during a no-decision.
Hicks is 0-0 with a 3.31 ERA in 10 career appearances (two starts) against the Diamondbacks. Jake McCarthy and Christian Walker are each 2-for-4 with a homer against Hicks.
San Francisco second baseman Thairo Estrada returned Tuesday from a right thumb injury that sidelined him for three games. He went 0-for-4 with a hit by pitch and two strikeouts.
–Field Level Media