Arizona Diamondbacks Game Preview, #100: Century down

Patrick Corbin LHP, 4-9, 5.23

Matt Garza RHP, 1-4, 5.94

Michael Bourn - LF	Jonathan Villar - SS
Phil Gosselin - 2B	Hernan Perez - 3B
Jean Segura - SS	Ryan Braun - LF
Paul Goldschmidt - 1B	Jonathan Lucroy - C
Welington Castillo - C	Chris Carter - 1B
Yasmany Tomas - RF	Scooter Gennett - 2B
Chris Owings - CF	Jake Elmore - RF
Brandon Drury - 3B	Keon Broxton - CF
Patrick Corbin - LHP	Matt Garza - RHP

99 games in and the D-backs are 41-58. This ranks 16th among the 19 campaigns in team history, and is the lowest mark since 2010, when they were 37-62 at this point of the season. The team ERA of 4.83 also ranks at the same spot, just edging out for now the inaugural season's mark of 4.85. Oddly, the category where our pitching staff are doing quite well is shutouts. We've managed five of those so far, which is the same number as in 2001 and 2002, the best seasons by record through 99 games, and also as in 2013, when the D-backs posted their best ERA to this point (3.73).

On the other hand, if the team seems to have had a lot of meltdowns... it's because they have. The 2016 Diamondbacks have surrendered eight or more runs an awful lot. If it happens in Milwaukee tonight, it'll have happened in exactly one-quarter of our games. The 24 occasions so far hasn't been surpassed over the first 99 games for a decade, since the 2006 team allowed it in 27 games. The Reds (29) are the only side in the NL to have allowed more; even the Rockies, with that Coors Field disadvantage, have only had 22 such wretched showings. At the other end of the chart? The Mets, who have conceded 8+ just four times; once over their last 49 games.

Today's starter has be a significant part of problem, with eight of his 20 starts thus far leading to the D-backs conceding more than seven runs. That includes both his last two, at home against the Dodgers and Blue Jays. Perhaps getting out of Chase will help Corbin, as his numbers on the road have been a great deal better. With ten starts on each side, he's 4-2 with a respectable 3.64 ERA away from home. In contrast, at Chase Field, he's 0-7 with an ERA of 6.91. The main reason is those home-runs. Despite have thrown slightly more innings on the road (59.1 vs. 56), Corbin has allowed fewer than half as many homers (6 vs. 14). We'll see if that holds true tonight.