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Diamondbacks Lineup
- Gerardo Parra - RF
- Martin Prado - 2B
- Paul Goldschmidt - 1B
- Eric Chavez - 3B
- Mark Trumbo - LF
- Miguel Montero - C
- Chris Owings - SS
- A.J. Pollock - CF
- Bronson Arroyo - P
The pitching has been the obvious problem through the first ten games. The good news is, it is perhaps not quite the worst start our hurlers have got off to in team history. The bad news? It's only ahead of 2004, and I think we all know how that ended... Here are the stats to this point for all 17 seasons, in descending order of ERA.
| Rk | Year | W | L | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ||
| 1 | 2004 | 4 | 6 | 7.00 | 90.0 | 107 | 70 | 17 | 49 | 79 | 1.73 |
| 2 | 2014 | 2 | 8 | 6.31 | 87.0 | 99 | 61 | 13 | 37 | 68 | 1.56 |
| 3 | 1998 | 2 | 8 | 5.95 | 87.2 | 104 | 58 | 15 | 24 | 51 | 1.46 |
| 4 | 2009 | 3 | 7 | 5.70 | 90.0 | 88 | 57 | 13 | 37 | 61 | 1.39 |
| 5 | 2001 | 4 | 6 | 5.56 | 89.0 | 92 | 55 | 16 | 28 | 80 | 1.35 |
| 6 | 2003 | 2 | 8 | 5.18 | 90.1 | 97 | 52 | 11 | 34 | 70 | 1.45 |
| 7 | 2011 | 5 | 5 | 5.06 | 89.0 | 102 | 50 | 13 | 36 | 75 | 1.55 |
| 8 | 2010 | 5 | 5 | 5.04 | 91.0 | 101 | 51 | 16 | 34 | 74 | 1.48 |
| 9 | 2005 | 6 | 4 | 4.75 | 91.0 | 106 | 48 | 9 | 30 | 61 | 1.49 |
| 10 | 1999 | 4 | 6 | 3.96 | 97.2 | 88 | 43 | 13 | 45 | 83 | 1.36 |
| 11 | 2002 | 5 | 5 | 3.56 | 86.0 | 76 | 34 | 11 | 20 | 97 | 1.12 |
| 12 | 2012 | 7 | 3 | 3.51 | 89.2 | 75 | 35 | 10 | 37 | 75 | 1.25 |
| 13 | 2013 | 7 | 3 | 3.45 | 99.0 | 91 | 38 | 7 | 30 | 97 | 1.22 |
| 14 | 2007 | 7 | 3 | 3.11 | 92.2 | 93 | 32 | 9 | 42 | 77 | 1.46 |
| 15 | 2000 | 7 | 3 | 3.06 | 94.0 | 88 | 32 | 12 | 21 | 75 | 1.16 |
| 16 | 2006 | 5 | 5 | 3.01 | 89.2 | 79 | 30 | 7 | 29 | 78 | 1.20 |
| 17 | 2008 | 8 | 2 | 2.53 | 89.0 | 66 | 25 | 9 | 32 | 76 | 1.10 |
One surprising thing: we're actually two games behind the 2004 roster, despite their ERA of seven. There are a few reasons for that. They had some really bad blowouts: four times in the first ten games, AZ conceded 10+ runs, a mark reached on one occasion this year. They also scored a lot more: we've provided tacos only once thus far; the same promotion in 2004 would already have resulted in four free meals (and three Diamondbacks wins, so there'd have been 50% off Papa John's as well!). However, that doesn't take into account the lower run environment. The 2004 figure was 163% of NL ERA that year. A decade later, we're now at 175%, so by that mark: yeah, worst ever.
This may be part of the reason why Kirk Gibson has had a quick hook. Our starters thus far have averaged only 88 pitches per game, the lowest in the National League. Part of that may be due to our expanded bullpen, and the week off after the opening series likely also encouraged relief use. But averaging under 90 pitches per start does not seem like a recipe for sustained success. Which bring us to Arroyo: the first start for our "innings eater" proved more of a light snack, ending after 82 pitches and one out into the fifth. We'll be looking for rather more than that from him tonight, but at least it's a night game, which should help the ball stay in AT&T Park.
If that's a popping sound you hear coming from the Bay Area, it'll be the bubble-wrap being taken off Eric Chavez, making his first start of 2014 tonight. He'll be replacing Aaron Hill in the line-up with Martin Prado moving over from third to make room there, and covering second instead. That leaves Goldschmidt, Parra, Prado and Trumbo as the four "ever presents" this season. Otherwise, business as usual - and I hope that applies to Goldie's ongoing ownership of Tim Lincecum, against who he now has the staggering line of .522/.538/1.348 in 26 PAs. A bit surprised Hill is sitting, considering he's not far behind, at .529/.636/.765 in 22 PAs.