WATCH: Jack Flaherty and Torey Lovullo Exchange Words from Dugouts During D-backs vs. Tigers
The Arizona Diamondbacks lost 3-8 to the Detroit Tigers on Saturday, dropping the series at their home field in Arizona. They are now one game away from being swept by the Tigers. The game also featured a heated exchange between Torey Lovullo and Jack Flaherty.
The D-backs held a 2-0 lead until the sixth inning, with Zac Gallen keeping the Tigers scoreless. However, in the seventh inning, Gallen gave up three runs, causing the Diamondbacks to lose their lead and they were unable to recover.
Torey Lovullo was seen arguing with Tigers’ ace Jack Flaherty from their respective dugouts. Flaherty pitched six innings, allowing five hits and two runs. The D-backs’ bullpen struggled in the seventh inning, allowing the Tigers to extend their lead to 6-2. Joe Mantiply, who replaced Gallen after two outs, couldn’t finish the inning and gave up three more runs before being replaced by Justin Martinez. In the eighth inning, K. Ginkel allowed two more runs, increasing the Tigers’ lead to 8-2.
Jack Flaherty and Torey Lovullo had some words for each other from across their dugouts pic.twitter.com/TRjsIuVIq6
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 19, 2024
Torey Lovullo reflected on a “tough” night following the D-backs’ loss.
In the post-game conference, the Diamondbacks’ manager discussed the difficult evening. Despite having an early lead and maintaining it for more than half of the game, losing in this manner was disappointing for him. “This is a tough loss. We had a lot going in our favor. Zac was throwing the ball extremely well, and we got into that 7th inning. I liked the matchups with Zac in that part of their lineup, but they just continued to grind him down,” Lovullo said.
Lovullo initially declined to comment on the verbal altercation between him and the Tigers’ Jack Flaherty. However, he hinted that there was more to the story than what was seen on screen. “Trust me, what happened there, what you guys saw wasn’t the first thing that happened. I can hold serve on one thing, but we felt like there was more than just that situation that popped up, and I’d had enough,” he added.
This marked the team’s 25th defeat of the season. The World Series runner-ups are struggling to maintain their form. The D-backs (21-25) are currently in fourth place in the NL West, just above the Colorado Rockies (15-30).
