Arizona Diamondbacks Game Preview, #75: Rockie Mountains, Hi!

Zack Greinke RHP, 10-3, 3.54

Eddie Butler RHP, 2-4, 6.26

Jean Segura - SS	Charlie Blackmon - CF
Yasmany Tomas - RF	DJ LeMahieu - 2B
Paul Goldschmidt - 1B	Nolan Arenado - 3B
Jake Lamb - 3B	Carlos Gonzalez - RF
Peter O'Brien - LF	Trevor Story - SS
Phil Gosselin - 2B	Ryan Raburn - LF
Welington Castillo - C	Mark Reynolds - 1B
Zack Greinke - RHP	Nick Hundley - C
Socrates Brito - CF	Eddie Butler - RHP

Thus far, the Rockies have been a bit of a problem for the Diamondbacks, with Arizona having taken only three of the nine games between the two sides. However, last time the two sides met, also in Colorado, Arizona won the first two, and the Rockies scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning of the series finale. Building on that would be helpful, and the better performances of the starting pitching for Arizona gives me reason to hope. Of course, four games against the Phillies certainly helped, especially with regard to Shelby Miller, but we should still be looking for at least a split of these four, with the front of our rotation.

This starts, of course, with Greinke, who has won seven consecutive games, the best streak by a D-backs since Patrick Corbin in 2013. Greinke is probably pitching better, with an ERA of 1.90 over that time, compared to Corbin's figure of 2.25, or Ian Kennedy's 2.44, when he won seven straight in 2011. Zack's K:BB of 41:7 during this time is also superior to Corbin (41:15) and Kennedy (39:13). To find a longer streak, you've got to go back to Brandon Webb's 11 in a row, the franchise record, which covered the end of the 2007 season and the beginning of 2008. As ever, this is Coors. but Greinke has not lost here in six career starts, despite a career ERA of 4.19.

Brito gets the start in CF, looking for his first hit since rejoining the roster in Philadelphia. He'll be covering the ground between Tomas and O'Brien, and that's a lot of space in Colorado. Interesting to see Segura covering shortstop, with Ahmed on the bench and Gosselin covering second. It will be the first Greinke start where we've not seen Ahmed at short and Segura at second - they've been his "personal middle infield" for his first fifteen starts. Perhaps they want more offense, given the environment? Just a guess.