Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • B1

Arizona Republic THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2022 1B SPORTS Inside golf team sets sights on a national championship, 12B LOS ANGELES Diamondbacks third baseman Josh Rojas returned the clubhouse at Dodger Stadium and was struck by a realization. He had not had a chance to take a breath, not during 5-3 loss, not at any point over the previous three days. Facing the Los Angeles Dodgers is dif- enough for the Diamondbacks. It is even harder when they have to play them four times in three days. And it is harder still when they are hit hard by injuries and COVID-19.

Given all that, the out- come of the series came as little surprise. The Diamondbacks were swept in four games, extending their losing streak to six and dropping to 18-21, three games under .500 for the time since the start of the month. They played the entire series without shortstop Nick Ahmed, who is on the in- jured list for an undisclosed reason. They received only six at-bats from second baseman Ketel Marte, who is nursing a sore left hand. They were playing essen- tially with a one-man bench on Wednes- day after losing two position players, Cooper Hummel and Jose Herrera, to positive COVID tests.

On top of that, they did not play espe- cially well. Their starting pitching strug- gled. Their was decent but come up with big hits. They did not play or pitch terribly, but against the Dodgers, in their home ballpark, it good enough. Since the start of 2019, the Diamond- backs are 3-23 at Dodger Stadium, where they are 1-18 in their past 19 games, in- cluding nine losses in a row.

this stadium, a lot of mo- Diamondbacks right-hander Zach Davies said. a big crowd, they get that momentum from the crowd. an All-Star lineup, one through nine, and knows their job and does it Davies was nursing a 2-1 lead when the Will Smith shot a double into right with one out in the fourth, the start of a speedy unraveling for the Dia- mondbacks. Max Muncy followed by lining a single into right and Justin Tur- ner put the Dodgers in front by blasting a full-count change-up out to left for a three-run homer. All three hits came on pitches up in the zone, and the pitch Turner saw was the sixth change-up in a seven-pitch at- bat.

Davies said he say whether he should have gone to something else or not since the pitch he did throw was so poorly located. he said, in that line- up those tend to stay in the The outing was since his ex-wife, Megan, detailed in an Instra- gram post earlier this week how their marriage had dissolved, saying Davies had left her without warning and had cut all communication. Davies was asked if having his personal situation made public served as a distraction to his outing. DODGERS 5, D-BACKS 3 The Pavin Smith strikes out against the Dodgers in the inning at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday afternoon in Los Angeles. The Dodgers won 5-3 to complete a four-game sweep and drop the D-Backs to 18-21.

GETTY IMAGES Battered beaten Injuries, COVID, Dodgers take turns knocking down D-Backs Nick Piecoro Arizona Republic USA TODAY NETWORK See D-BACKS, Page 5B When veterans and rookies alike re- port next week for the round of season organized team activities at the Tempe training facility, there will be plenty of stories worth watching. the development of untested in- side linebacker Zaven Collins, more reac- tion and fallout from DeAndre suspension and whether quarterback Kyler Murray will show up at all as he awaits a contract extension. Then the inspirational story of punter Nolan Cooney, whom about to read about now. The Cardinals already have an estab- lished punter in All-Pro Andy Lee, who is entering his 19th NFL season and will turn 40 in August. But it never hurts to have a young contender around in case of an emergency and in case, his mere ascension to making an NFL roster is somewhat of a miracle.

Who else do you know of that was di- agnosed with cancer as a teenager, never played football until deciding to pick up punting on a whim while undergoing chemotherapy treatment, and actually made it this far after only punting one season in college? But here he is, getting a second shot in the NFL after being one of the nal roster cuts heading into last season. And to think, it probably never would have happened had doctors not discov- ered he had testicular cancer during his junior year at East Greenwich High in Rhode Island. know, I think about that some- Cooney told The Republic during a phone interview upon participating in the recent three-day rookie mini-camp. lot of people say every- thing happens for a reason and I think I can be a believer in that. Cards give punter Cooney another shot Bob McManaman Arizona Republic USA TODAY NETWORK Punter Nolan Cooney was one of the roster cuts before the start of the 2021 season.

STEPHEN TODAY SPORTSSee CARDINALS, Page 7B Phoenix Suns General Manager James Jones addressed a number of topics in his exit Zoom media interview Wednesday afternoon, with one being the future of Deandre Ayton with the team. Ayton will be a restricted free agent this summer, as the Suns failed to sign him to a rookie max extension or any extension at all heading into the fourth and year of his rookie deal. far as free agency and those things, address them at the proper Jones said. happens in July, end of June, but we want to con- tinue to keep our consistency and conti- nuity and keep the guys that we have and continue to help those guys im- prove upon the things that we did this The Suns can match any from another team since Ayton is a restricted free agent or do a sign-and-trade with Suns GM: Ayton this season Duane Rankin Arizona Republic USA TODAY NETWORK Suns coach Monty Williams pulls center Deandre Ayton from Game 7 against the Mavericks in Phoenix. ROB REPUBLIC See SUNS, Page 3B Phil absence will no doubt loom large over the PGA Champi- onship.

A year after his improbable win at Kiawah Island, this week would have been a celebration of that accomplish- ment and so many others in his career. Instead of sadness at how far the most beloved golfer since Arnold Palm- er has fallen, however, there should be a sense of relief. Bad as been to see his image and reputation go up in from a distance, it would be far worse to see the blaze up close. And exactly what would have happened had Mickelson showed up at Southern Hills. Waiver requests for the next event on the Saudi-backed tour, almost cer- tain to be denied by the PGA Tour, are due Tuesday.

also the day that Nancy Armour Columnist USA TODAY feel sorry for Mickelson See ARMOUR, Page 8B.