The Diamondbacks’ 7-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Sunday was largely indistinguishable from so many losses that preceded it this season. They created scoring chances but could not deliver. They kept it close before their bullpen let it get away. It was uninspiring.

Perhaps, then, it was a fitting performance for a day that marks an ignominious distinction. The loss was the Diamondbacks’ 31st of the year, assuring them of a losing record with 12 games remaining.

This has felt inevitable, of course, for weeks, but it still feels noteworthy given the circumstances. For one, it is the latest instance in Diamondbacks history in which they entered the year with high expectations only to somehow fall flat.

This year, however, seems all the more inexplicable given the reasons for and surrounding the failure. Most of the more disastrous years the franchise has experienced were filled with injury. This year’s team has been largely healthy, other than an injury or two here and there.

The everyday lineup, in particular — the group that feels most responsible for the club’s 17-31 record — had been almost entirely healthy until Ketel Marte landed on the injured list last week.

This year also marks the first significant step back for the current regime. For the first time since they came aboard prior to the 2017 season, General Manager Mike Hazen and manager Torey Lovullo will end the year with a losing record.

“It pisses me off,” Lovullo said. “I don’t like losing anything. I know that entire room doesn’t like losing anything. It means we’ve got to be better. It means that I’m going to need to go back and evaluate a lot of the things that happened, a lot of the things that I did.”

The question that prompted that response also included the opportunity for an out — a chance for him to acknowledge something that seems clearly to have affected the fortunes of his team: the oddity of the year. Not simply the length of the season (60 games as opposed to 162), but the quick ramp-up during summer camp, the psychological impact of the year and everything else built into it. Lovullo, however, chose not to take it.

“We knew the ground rules when we walked in here,” Lovullo said. “It may have been different, but we had plenty of time to get used to it. It’s humbling, but it’s going to make us better. That’s what I think, personally. We’re going to keep fighting until the end.”

With a lineup filled with young players — four of the Diamondbacks’ nine starters on Sunday had fewer than 300 career at-bats — they found ways to put pressure on the Mariners but were unable to cash it in with a big inning.

They mostly watched as Mariners starter Justin Dunn fell apart in the first two innings, issuing five walks, but they came away with just one run before Dunn was out of the game.

Diamondbacks right-hander Luke Weaver, meanwhile, looked out of sync in the early innings but managed to go five innings and allow just two runs. The bullpen was unable to keep it there; lefty Travis Bergen (two runs) struggled to throw strikes and right-hander Junior Guerra (two runs) was hit around as the Mariners put the game out of reach.

“It just felt like we were behind the 8-ball all day in this game,” said Diamondbacks infielder Josh VanMeter, who with two hits and walk was one of the only bright spots. “It was just one of those things.”

Short hops

Right-hander Zac Gallen was dealing with a “little bit of discomfort” with the fingernail on the middle finger of his pitching hand during Saturday’s outing, though Lovullo said it did not play a big part in Gallen’s results. He threw five innings and gave up a career-high seven runs to the Seattle Mariners. Lovullo said the club would continue to Gallen’s health.

*The Diamondbacks shuffled their rotation for their upcoming series against the Los Angeles Angels, skipping right-hander Taylor Clarke’s turn and moving lefties Madison Bumgarner and Caleb Smith up a day. That keeps them on regular rest given Monday’s off day. The team will start Alex Young in Thursday’s series finale; Young’s most recent outing came in relief.