Diamondbacks cut into Astros’ lead in 4th inning

The Diamondbacks end their homestand against the Astros in an early game on Tuesday. Follow our updates.

D-Backs cut into lead

The Diamondbacks cut Houston’s lead to 8-3 by sending nine batters to the plate in the fourth inning but even after five hits and a walk, the inning felt like a wasted opportunity. After three runs scored, Arizona had the bases loaded with one out and a chance to get back into the game. But Chris Herrmann and pinch-hitter Gregor Blanco both struck out to end the inning.

A.J. Pollock and Jake Lamb had back-to-back doubles in the inning, while Ketel Marte, Paul Goldschmidt and Chris Iannetta all singled.

Houston increases lead to 7-0

The Astros scored two runs in the third inning to take a 7-0 lead on Arizona. With two outs, Anthony Banda intentionally walked eighth-place hitter Jake Marisnick to pitch to Houston pitcher Bread Peacock. But Peacock roped a two-run double down the right-field line to score J.D. Davis and Marisnick.

Astros go ahead 5-0

Houston jumped on Arizona starter Anthony Banda for five runs in the second inning. J.D. Davis and Max Stassi started the inning with back-to-back, one-out doubles, Jake Marisnick singled and with two outs, George Springer’s double scored Stassi and Marisnick. Alex Bregman followed with a bloop triple down the right-field line to score Springer, and Bregman then scored on a wild pitch.

Meanwhile, Arizona doesn’t have a hit against Houston starter Brad Peacock through two innings.

Greinke’s cerebral pitching style

A day after Zack Greinke shut out the Houston Astros, the best offensive team in the American League, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo tried to explain what makes Greinke so “special.”

Lovullo said the Diamondbacks put together a scouting report on opposing teams and players that’s several inches thick but they condense the information to one page because, “We know how hard it is to game plan. With the stimulus and a lot moving around you it’s hard to remember things. If they can remember one or two points per guy that’s good.”

Greinke, on the other hand, can recall the entire stack of papers.

“It’s really amazing what he remembers, what he retains and what he studies,” Lovullo said. “I would love to see him play quarterback in the NFL. I think he would pick apart defenses, to be honest with you. He’s that type of guy.”

Lovullo said Greinke, who’s 14-5 with a 3.01 ERA, also isn’t afraid to pursue his own idea of how to pitch a team as opposed to just accepting the Diamondbacks scouting report.

“It’s constantly moving for Zack. He explores so much,” Lovullo said. “He watches video and he might see something that goes against everybody else’s game plan and he’s willing to test out his own thoughts. He gets a certain idea and he wants to explore it and research it because he knows in his mind it could work based on the video he’s watching.”

First up

Shortstop Ketel Marte, hitting .280 with a .364 on-base percentage, is batting leadoff for the Diamondbacks Tuesday, the first time all season he’s been at the top of the order.

“I felt like we wanted a leadoff hitter who was going to see some pitches, put some good swings on the ball and he deserves it,” Lovullo said. “He stays with his game plan as good as anybody I’ve seen and he’s been a catalyst for us at the bottom of the lineup.”

Lovullo said Marte will move down in the order when David Peralta returns off the paternity leave list “but in his absence he was the guy that made the most sense to me.”

Lovullo said Peralta will join the team Wednesday in Houston but probably won’t play until Thursday at the earliest.

Houston we have liftoff

The Diamondbacks will be dressed in NASA gear for their flight to Houston Tuesday night. The costume day originated from, no surprise, the fruitful mind of reliever Archie Bradley.

“Archie is always into all the dress-up days. It’s fun,” said backup catcher Chris Herrmann. “You know, lightens up the mood and you get a good laugh between teammates. It’s just a good time.”

Short hops

Lovullo said it’s likely that first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and right fielder J.D. Martinez will serve as designated hitter for the two games in Houston Wednesday and Thursday. … Outfielder Yasmany Tomas is still experiencing “light discomfort” in his groin, according to Lovullo, so there’s no timetable for him to begin playing games.

MLB POWER RANKINGS: Can Diamondbacks hold on to a playoff spot?

Lineup

Ketel Marte is batting leadoff for the Diamondbacks Tuesday and playing shortstop.

Brandon Drury is playing second base and batting seventh.

Chris Herrmann is playing left field for Arizona and batting eighth.

Here’s the complete D-Backs lineup:

Jose Altuve saw three Zack Greinke sliders in the first inning on Monday night. He swung and missed at all three. He offered at Greinke sliders twice more in the third and managed to foul off one of them. Three innings later, Altuve laid off the two sliders he saw. But Greinke beat him with a fastball, a pitch Altuve chased out of the strike zone.

In all, the second-hardest player to strike out in the majors over the past four years went down on strikes three times against Greinke, a pitcher no longer known for being an overpowering, strikeout-machine but who, this year, at least, has suddenly turned back into one.

MLB PLAYOFF PICTURE: Where Diamondbacks, others stand

Left-hander Robbie Ray’s next start won’t come in the big leagues, after all. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Ray will make a rehab start for High-A Visalia on Thursday as he works his way back after suffering a concussion on July 28, when he was struck on the head by a 108 mph line drive by the Cardinals’ Luke Voit.

Lovullo said the organization weighed its options over the past couple of days after Ray threw a four-inning, 50-pitch simulated game on Saturday at Salt River Fields, ultimately deciding he needed more time before returning from the disabled list.

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David Hernandez looked around the clubhouse and tried to remember. He wasn’t sure if his old locker was two or three stalls down from his current one. But either way, he realized something about his second stint with the organization that, to him, most feels like home.

“It kind of feels like I never left, to be honest,” Hernandez said. “It’s been fun. Hopefully, we can start winning some games to make it a little more fun. I’ve enjoyed being back around these guys.”

SALARIES: What Diamondbacks players will make this season

The Diamondbacks made two roster moves Monday. They optioned reliever Jake Barrett to Triple-A Reno and recalled Silvino Bracho, placed outfielder David Peralta on the paternity leave list and recalled reliever J.J. Hoover from Reno.

Barrett was 1-0 with a 4.02 ERA for Arizona but he was hit hard in Sunday’s 7-2 loss to the Cubs, giving up four hits and four earned runs in 1 2/3 innings.

MORE: MLB’s highest paid players: Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke lead list

Tuesday’s game

Astros at Diamondbacks

When: 12:40 p.m.

Where: Chase Field (Roof hotline: 602-462-6262).

Pitchers: Diamondbacks LHP Anthony Banda (1-2, 4.60) vs. Astros RHP Brad Peacock (10-1, 3.07).

TV/Radio: FSAZ/KMVP-FM (98.7), KHOV-FM (105.1).

Banda got a quick hook in his start last week against the Dodgers, departing for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the fourth inning in a game the Diamondbacks would go on to lose 8-6. He gave up three runs – all in the first inning – allowing four hits and one walk. … Prior to that, Banda gave up one run in six innings against the Giants in San Francisco to earn his first big league win. … Peacock has played parts of six seasons in the big leagues and this has been by far his most successful. He’s logging a career-high strikeout rate of 11.5 per nine innings, which would rank third in the AL if he had enough innings to qualify. … He threw well his last time out, giving up one run in 6 2/3 innings against the Chicago White Sox. … Peacock is throwing more sinkers and sliders than he has in previous years, and he’s been getting solid results with both pitches. He has held opposing hitters to a .200 average and .304 slugging on the slider.

Coming up

Wednesday: At Houston, 5:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Taijuan Walker (6-6, 3.76) vs. Astros RHP Charlie Morton (9-5, 3.83).

Thursday: At Houston, 11:10 a.m., Diamondbacks LHP Patrick Corbin (9-11, 4.52) vs. Astros RHP Mike Fiers (7-7, 4.36).

Friday: At Minnesota, 5:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zack Godley (5-5, 2.95) vs. Twins RHP Ervin Santana (12-7, 3.28).