Hale calls out Capps' delivery after Latos stymies D-backs
PHOENIX -- Mat Latos stifled the Diamondbacks for seven innings and Marlins relievers Carter Caps and A.J. Ramos followed suit Tuesday night in a 3-0 Miami victory.
Manager Chip Hale and D-backs hitters credited Latos for his performance but Hale said Capps' delivery should not be allowed.
Capps takes an odd hop off the pitching rubber toward home plate before releasing the ball, sometimes at 100 mph.
"It plays to the integrity of the game for me," Hale said. "That's just the rule. Your foot is supposed to be in contract with the rubber, at least close. He's not even close. The league OK'd it. The umpires really have no say in it right now. The league said it is OK, and they have to let it go. It's very difficult to watch.
"I think it's something the league needs to look at. ... I'm sure it does throw off some timing but you're also another foot closer to home plate. The rubber is in a certain spot because that's the way the game is supposed to be played. So you're basically throwing from a rubber that's 12 inches forward."
Capps struck out Cliff Pennington and Chris Owings and got A.J. Pollock to line out to left field in a 1-2-3 eighth inning in which the FOX Sports Arizona broadcast focused on the right-hander's delivery.
"I love it whenever we go to a new place and you hear the announcers talk about his delivery," Latos said. "It's interesting. It's nothing new. The guy's been pitching like that for two years now and they still talk about it. It's funny."
Capps, of course, wasn't the reason the D-backs lost for the seventh time in eight games. That distinction went to Latos, who struck out seven in seven innings in yet another dominant outing in Arizona.
Latos is 5-1 with a 2.95 ERA in 10 career games against the D-backs and is 4-0 with a 1.33 ERA in six starts at Chase Field. He said he is comfortable here from his three seasons with the Padres.
Latos has a 2.72 ERA in his last six starts. The start before this run he gave up six runs in 5 1/3 innings to Arizona in a 7-6 loss in Miami. The D-backs never had a chance this time around.
"He kept the ball down," Hale said. "We had a hard time hitting him. I always say the hitters tell you something about the pitcher, and we have good hitters. He did a nice job."
Pollock singled twice and stole his 20th base. The other hits off Latos were a single by Paul Goldschmidt and an infield single by Yasmany Tomas.
Latos outpitched Jeremy Hellickson, who retired 13 in a row at one point but gave up two runs and five hits in seven innings. The Marlins got to Hellickson in the fifth on a two-out double by J.T. Realmuto and then a single back up in the by No. 8 hitter Adeiny Hechavarria to break the scoreless tie.
"I like those type of games," Hellickson said. "I felt pretty good, just can't make the mistakes when (Latos) is throwing that well."
The D-backs recalled right-handed reliever Dominic Leone from Double-A Mobile and optioned OF/1B Danny Dorn to Triple-A Reno. Was Leone recalled so as to avoid using Josh Collmenter, who then could start Thursday in place of Chase Anders? "Maybe he is ... and maybe he isn't," Chip Hale said. Collmenter pitched the ninth inning.
0 -- the D-backs were shut out for the fifth time this season.
The D-backs will have to go through Marlins ace Jose Fernandez on Wednesday if they are to win their first series of at least three games since they took 3 of 4 from the Rockies July 2-5. Fernandez carries a 2.37 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP, and opponents are hitting .239 against him in three starts since he returned from Tommy John surgery.
