Escobar struggles in D-backs debut, Astros pounce
PHOENIX -- When the Diamondbacks abruptly put two-fifths of the starting rotation on the disabled list last week, the announcement Archie Bradley would fill one void surprised non one. The same cannot be said of Edwin Escobar's addition.
Part of that stemmed from Escobar's short tenure in the organization -- he was claimed off waivers April 29 -- and part from his far-from-stellar numbers at Triple-A Reno.
Escobar did little of quell those concerns on his Arizona debut, as the Astros sent him to the clubhouse after just 3 1/3 innings Sunday in an 8-3 D-backs loss at Chase Field.
Escobar was hurt by a couple weekly hit balls that found their way around the D-backs' infield shifts, as well as Michael Bourn's error in right field. But 11 of the final 16 Astros the left-hander faced reached base -- 10 by way of a hit.
The 24-year-old Escobar, who had just two innings of previous Major League experience, was tagged with eight runs (seven earned). In addition to the 10 hits, Escobar hit two batters and walked another.
"I was a little inconsistent with my stuff, but other than that I felt great," Escobar said. "I just have to take the positives for my next start."
Manager Chip Hale before the game said Escobar would get more than one start in Rubby De La Rosa's spot in the rotation. Hale stood by that after the D-backs' very modest two-game win streak was snapped.
"I think he's going to help us," Hale said. "There were a bunch of balls that weren't hit well that fell in and we didn't make some plays behind him.
"There's some stuff that's needs to be refined. ... We get four days of work until he starts again so we'll see what we can do to tighten it up a little bit."
Paul Goldschmidt staked Escobar to a lead with a solo home run into the pool in right-center field in the first inning -- Goldschmidt is 6 for 11 with two doubles and two home runs in the four games this homestand. But the D-backs couldn't get anything else going until late against Astros' righty Colin McHugh, who went the distance and gave up just five hits.
While McHugh was rolling -- he retired 20 of 21 at one point -- Houston got to Escobar for four runs in the second and two each in the third and fourth.
Catcher Welington Castillo said Escobar's fastball, which topped out at 95 mph, and slider were moving quite a bit, which made both difficult to control. Escobar threw 53 of his 87 pitches for strikes, and the Astros jumped on the ones in the middle of the strike zone.
In his first appearance in the majors since 2014 with the Red Sox, Escobar said nerves did not play a role.
"I was in control," he said. "I threw the ball like a normal game, normal day. I feel pretty good about that."
Nonetheless, it was the 11th time this season a D-backs starter failed to last five innings and the 22nd time he did not go six innings.
"We don't like those games. We're tired of them," Hale said. "There's just been too many games, here at home especially, where we're trying to figure out how to get through the game with our pitching. ... We have to tighten it up."