Diamondbacks Fall to Giants, Set MLB Record with 23rd Consecutive Road Loss
June 17, 2021
The Arizona Diamondbacks have made history, but it's not the kind that they'll want to be remembered for.
With a 10-3 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Thursday, the Diamondbacks set an MLB record for the longest road losing streak since 1900, which now stands at 23 games.
The previous record, which they tied in a 13-7 loss at Oracle Park on Wednesday, was held by the 1943 Philadelphia Athletics and the 1963 New York Mets.
Thursday's outing was almost over before it started, with the Giants taking a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning before tacking on one run in each of the next three frames.
The Diamondbacks showed some signs of life in the seventh inning. Pavin Smith scored as Christian Walker reached base on an error, then David Peralta used a RBI single to score Eduardo Escobar.
Escobar crossed the plate again in the top of the ninth after reaching on a leadoff triple.
Those runs spoiled what had been a strong day for Kevin Gausman, who lasted eight innings and finished the day with four hits, two earned runs and six strikeouts before Zack Littell pitched a one-run, one-hit ninth. It was a standout outing, especially compared to what transpired in the Diamondbacks' bullpen.
Zac Gallen lasted 2.2 innings, giving up the first four hits and four runs. Riley Smith was on the bump for 4.1 innings, but he gave up seven hits and four more runs before he was yanked. Then it came down to Mella, who finished with two hits and an equal amount of earned runs through 1.0 innings.
In addition to cementing their name in MLB history, the Diamondbacks dropped to 20-50 on the year and have the fewest wins of any team in the majors. They haven't won on the road since April 25, when they did so in another near-historic performance (that apparently has cursed them).
In that April victory, Diamondbacks ace Madison Bumgarner threw a complete game and no-hit the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. But the 7-0 win didn't go down in MLB record books as a no-hitter, since it came in a seven-inning doubleheader.
They've come a long way since starting the season at 15-3.
They have won just one game since June 1, when they edged the New York Mets 6-5 at home, and have dropped 14 in a row as well as 28 of their last 30 and 37 of their last 42.
Though the Diamondbacks head back home next, they face the task of hosting the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, who swept Arizona in a four-game series in the teams' last meeting in L.A. in May. The three-game series begins Friday.