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We saw Chase Anderson in the series against the Brewers in Milwaukee, and the D-backs' hitters did not do a very good job of handling him. He allowed just one hit over seven shutout innings, striking out 11 batters, and has not allowed a run in either of his two starts since then, posting three W's in a row. Meanwhile, Robbie Ray also pitched seven shutout innings when he saw the Brewers, allowing two hits and no walks, striking out nine. That was part of his own three-game scoreless streak. That ended in the fourth inning of his last outing, but the run did not stop Ray from getting his fourth consecutive victory.
So, over the last three outings, here are the combined lines for the two starters this afternoon:
Chase Anderson: 21.2 IP, 10 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 22 SO, 0.00 ERA
Robbie Ray: 22.2 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 30 SO, 0.40 ERA
The question for Ray will be whether he can continue his improved form at Chase. Before the last outing, he had pitched a lot better at home, but the dominance of that outing hopefully suggests he has figured it out. It's amazing that less than a month ago, Ray's ERA was 4.57, and he had walked 26 batters in 45.1 innings. Now it's 2.85, and walks are a rarity rather than the norm.
However, the D-backs will have to score if they're to win, The current roster has a .106 average against Anderson, being 5-for-47. Jake Lamb's 0-for-8 with four K's is particularly surprising, given the way Lamb has hammered right handers over the course of his career. Blanco is the only D-back in the starting line-up with an extra-base hit off Anderson. And that was back in 2015, when Anderson was with Arizona, and Blanco played for San Francisco. Yeah, I get the feeling this will likely be low-scoring and quick. Don't blink.