Rookie Jake Barrett had been tasked to close out the ninth inning on Sunday, but three straight balls to the presumptive tying run drew a visit from catcher Tuffy Gosewisch. His message was simple.
“Nobody’s good when they’re tense,” Gosewisch said. “That’s all I told him was to relax and be yourself.”
A short time later, the Diamondbacks were shaking hands on the infield. Barrett gave up a pair of hits but eventually struck out Yasiel Puig and Chris Taylor, preserving a 6-5 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers – and, with it, a rare series victory at Chase Field.