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Despite loss, D-backs pleased with trip

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By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com

05/24/09 8:52 PM ET

OAKLAND -- The road trip may not have wound up the way the D-backs would have liked, but not even Sunday's 6-2 loss to the A's could take away from the fact that the trip was a successful one.

The D-backs left Phoenix 10 days ago, a team reeling from a managerial dismissal and a 1-5 homestand.

The team that returns Monday to open a seven-game homestand having won six of nine on the road is a club that has seemingly regained its balance following the departure of Bob Melvin and the hiring of A.J. Hinch.

"On a lot of levels, it was successful," Hinch said. "I wish we could have finished with a 'W', but at the same time, we're in a better place as a team than we were when we left, so we want to carry that momentum home for a good homestand. I'm proud of these guys."

The trip saw back-to-back rainouts, a doubleheader in which the second game lasted 13 innings, and plenty of frequent flier miles, as it went from Atlanta to South Florida to Oakland, including a 3 a.m. local time arrival in the Bay Area following a night game against the Marlins.

The D-backs also had to deal with the tragic death of reliever Scott Schoeneweis' wife, Gabrielle.

All in all, it was a long, draining 10 days.

"When you go on a long road trip like that, especially with some of the travel we just did and waiting around with rain, it kind of drags and brings you down, but we stayed up and played good baseball, and that's a heck of a road trip," right-hander Jon Garland said.

While Garland (4-3) felt good about the road trip, he did not feel good coming out of the 'pen to start Sunday's game.

"I didn't really feel too great today, but went out and battled," Garland said. "I was definitely kind of all over the place there for a while with the walks, but when the time came, I was able to make my pitch to help myself out."

The D-backs staked him to a 1-0 lead in the first and Garland did his best imitation of a tight-rope walker throughout as he pitched his way into and out of trouble.

Through five innings, the A's managed eight baserunners, but nary a run to show for it.

"He nibbled a little bit early, which is uncharacteristic of him," Hinch said. "And then pitched himself out of jams and kept putting up zeroes and putting up zeroes and then made a mistake to Powell, and that was a big blast."

The blast was a sixth-inning homer to right by Landon Powell, which gave the A's a 3-1 lead. It was the catcher's first big league homer, and it came on a 2-0 fastball that Garland left up in the zone.

"We had pretty much shown him in, in, in the whole time," Garland said. "If I had to guess, he's sitting on one pitch right there and letting it fly, because I personally don't feel if he's not sitting on that I don't think he can do that with it. But tip your cap, he did, he got it."

The D-backs rallied a bit in the eighth, but after scoring a run, they hit into their fourth double play of the game.

"Two for ones are tough," Hinch said. "Those are tough ones because it kind of ends rallies in a hurry when you think you've got stuff going, but their defense converted."

The beneficiary of the homer by Powell and the stellar defense was Oakland starter Josh Outman. The left-hander allowed two runs (one earned) over 7 2/3 innings to raise his record to 2-0.

"They just beat us today," Hinch said. "Outman was good. He's got plenty of arm strength, he's got plenty of weapons and we just couldn't scratch enough early on or build his pitch count up enough early on to get him out of the game."

Still, there were plenty of good feelings as the D-backs packed their bags to head back to Phoenix.

"I think when we got on the road, we kind of came together a little bit," Justin Upton said. "We played with a little more excitement and a little more life. Hopefully we can carry it home with us, and when we get back to our friendly confines, we can get some W's."

Steve Gilbert is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.