PHOENIX — The groans began quickly after Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo exited the dugout and walked toward the mound in the seventh inning on Monday night.
Starting pitcher Ryne Nelson was throwing a gem, having shut out the San Francisco Giants through 6.2 innings. He had two runners on base and two outs with 88 pitches thrown. Arizona led 2-0.
Boos turned into cheers as the crowd acknowledged the effort from Nelson, while Juan Morillo entered the game. Morillo’s first pitch was a sinker down the middle that Tyler Fitzgerald cracked for a game-tying double.
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It was jarring for the crowd having to watch another game in which the bullpen struggled to hold a lead. The Diamondbacks blew late leads on both Saturday and Sunday to the Miami Marlins, and here they were again.
The Diamondbacks weathered the situation and won the game 4-2, but Lovullo knew what subject he had to address come postgame.
He took out Nelson because he had to.
“ I know I was the most unpopular man in the entire state of Arizona when I took out Ryne Nelson, but he exceeded his pitch count,” Lovullo said. “I ran him out there as far as I could, and like I keep telling you guys, I know what Ryne Nelson deals with. I know what he wakes up like tomorrow. We went above and beyond his pitch count.
“I know you guys are gonna probably ask me questions about why there is a pitch count. Maybe in chapter 13 of my book that I’m never gonna write, I’ll tell you why I follow the pitch count. I believe in it. I wanna protect these players. … I gotta make sure that I keep Ryne Nelson healthy for the entire year … I’m not an idiot. I wanted to leave him in the game as badly as everybody else wanted me to leave him in the game. I hated myself for doing it, but I had to.”
Why did Torey Lovullo take Ryne Nelson out in the seventh inning against the Giants? In short, he had to. pic.twitter.com/467vlib0dI
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) July 1, 2025
Nelson set a season high for pitches, surpassing 87 he threw last week at the Chicago White Sox.
The Diamondbacks tried to be flexible with Nelson early on this season, using him as a long reliever but attempting to keep him stretched out enough to jump back into the rotation if need be.
The need came, as Eduardo Rodriguez missed time in May with a sore shoulder. Then ace Corbin Burnes suffered a season-ending elbow injury on June 1, creating a permanent home for Nelson back in the starting five.
Nelson has dealt with soreness between outings, although specifics have been difficult to come by.
When asked if he was frustrated by the pitch count, Nelson said he wasn’t, noting the unique start to his season compared to the rest of the rotation.
“I’m sure if you ask any pitcher, there are always some nagging feelings here and there,” Nelson said. “Overall, body feels really good. … There’s always some early-season soreness.”
“He’s dealing with certain things and it’s in my pocket, I know it and I’m aware of it and I wanna protect him,” Lovullo said.
Nelson has been on quite a role, throwing 22.1 innings with four earned runs over his last four starts, all leading to D-backs victories.
D-backs starter Ryne Nelson breaks down Monday's victory over the Giants. pic.twitter.com/0ux3YY0N3m
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) July 1, 2025
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