Kohl Drake allows five earned runs in four innings for Diamondbacks

Kohl Drake's second stint with the Diamondbacks featured another difficult outing Thursday night at Oracle Park, where the right-hander allowed five earned runs in four innings against the Giants, per Yahoo Sports. Drake was recently called up from Triple-A Reno.

The Diamondbacks won the game, but only because the offense ambushed Giants starter Blade Tidwell for six runs in the first three innings and added four more against the bullpen, per the report. Arizona had scored eight runs in its previous four games combined.

What happened

Drake, fresh off the Reno Express, struggled to hold the lead his teammates built, per Yahoo Sports. The report described it as "another rough outing" for the right-hander, who gave up five earned runs over four innings of work.

Lars Nootbaar led off the game with a home run, and all but two Diamondbacks starters recorded a hit in a performance that produced 12 hits and two walks, per the report. The offense turned what could have been a tense evening into a victory despite Drake's line.

Why it matters

The phrase "another rough outing" suggests this was not Drake's first difficult appearance since his call-up from Reno, though the report does not specify when he was promoted or how many outings preceded Thursday's start. For a club 10.5 games back in the National League West, the margin for error in the rotation is narrow, and a starter who cannot hold a six-run cushion through the middle innings forces the bullpen into extended work.

Arizona entered Thursday having scored eight runs across four games, a drought that made Drake's inability to preserve the early lead all the more conspicuous. The offense bailed him out, but the Diamondbacks cannot count on double-digit run nights as a regular remedy.

The timing is particularly awkward. Arizona faces a doubleheader Saturday, which will require two starters and test the bullpen's depth. A starter who can provide only four innings before yielding to the relief corps creates a cascading problem when the schedule demands coverage for two full games within hours of each other.

The numbers

Drake allowed five earned runs in four innings Thursday, per Yahoo Sports. The report does not include his strikeout, walk, or hit totals from the outing, nor does it provide his season line or his numbers at Triple-A Reno before the call-up.

Where the club stands

The Diamondbacks are 75-68, second in the National League West and 10.5 games behind the division leader. They have won one in a row following Thursday's victory at Oracle Park.

Arizona plays a doubleheader Saturday in San Francisco, with Merrill Kelly and Mitch Bratt listed as the probable starters against Matt Wilkinson and Yunior Marte, respectively. The Diamondbacks then return home to Chase Field on Monday to open a series against the Phillies, with Brandon Pfaadt scheduled to face Aaron Nola.

The schedule offers little room for rotation uncertainty. A doubleheader demands two starters, and the Phillies series begins two days later. If Drake remains in the rotation, he will need to provide more length than four innings, or the bullpen will be taxed before September's roster expansion to 28 players.

September 1 brings that expansion, which will add two roster spots and give the Diamondbacks more flexibility to shuttle fresh arms between starts. But the final weeks of August still operate under the 26-man limit, and Thursday's short outing from Drake means the bullpen will enter Saturday's twin bill already working on short rest.

What we don't know yet

The report does not specify when Drake was called up from Reno, how many appearances he has made since his promotion, or what his line looked like in those outings. The phrase "another rough outing" implies a pattern, but the details of that pattern are not included.

It is also unclear whether Drake is filling a rotation spot or serving as a bulk reliever behind an opener. Four innings of work could suggest either role, and the distinction matters for how the Diamondbacks plan to deploy him in the final month of the season.

The report does not indicate whether Arizona has other rotation reinforcements at Triple-A Reno or whether the club is considering external options as it tries to stay within reach of a playoff spot. With the August 31 trade deadline long past, any reinforcements would need to come from within the organization or from the waiver wire.

What to watch

Drake's next appearance will clarify whether the Diamondbacks view him as a rotation piece or a short-term fill-in. If he starts one game of Saturday's doubleheader, the club is giving him another chance to stretch deeper into a game. If he does not appear, the front office may be reconsidering his role.

The bullpen's workload over the weekend will also signal how much trust the coaching staff has in its current rotation depth. A doubleheader after a game in which the starter lasted only four innings is a stress test for any relief corps, and Arizona's bullpen will need to cover significant innings Saturday even if both starters work efficiently.

The Diamondbacks' offense, meanwhile, snapped out of a four-game slump with 12 hits Thursday. Whether that production continues will determine how much margin for error the pitching staff has as the calendar turns to September and the roster expands. Arizona is 10.5 games back, and the club's playoff hopes depend on both the bats staying hot and the rotation finding stability behind its established starters.

Drake's call-up from Reno was meant to provide depth. Thursday's outing suggests the Diamondbacks are still searching for it. The doubleheader Saturday will test whether the club has enough arms to weather a short start, and the Phillies series that follows will ask the same question again. For a team chasing a playoff spot in the season's final month, the answers need to come quickly.