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The D-backs have lost three games in a row on seven different occasions this season. They have yet to lose four in a row. Let’s go through the previous six such streaks and see what happened in the fourth game of each.
- April 16. Starting pitcher Taijuan Walker, beat Dodgers 3-1
- May 10. Starting pitcher Zack Godley, beat Tigers 7-1
- May 30. Starting pitcher Robbie Ray, beat Pirates 3-0
- June 6. Starting pitcher Robbie Ray, beat Padres 10-2
- July 1. Starting pitcher Zack Greinke, beat Rockies 6-2
- July 7. Starting pitcher Zack Greinke, beat Reds 6-3
So over those six streak-busting contests, we’ve outscored the opposition 35-9, holding them to an average of just a run and a half per game. However, we’ve never had a three-game losing streak where we have had to turn to our #5 starter, Patrick Corbin, so that counts as significantly more uncharted territory. Not least because, we’ve lost the last four times that Corbin has started for Arizona. Though far from all that is on him, as Patrick has had a 3.09 ERA over that time, with a 28:7 K:BB over 23.1 innings. It has been more about a lack of run support, the Diamondbacks scoring a total of nine runs. Improving that will certainly be a help this afternoon.
Arizona has done a pretty good job of handling Foltynewicz over the years. He has faced us four times in 2015-16, and has yet to win, with a 6.17 ERA over those occasions. Small sample size (65 PA), but the roster as a whole are hitting .283 against him, with the top of our order (Pollock and Peralta) combining to go 6-for-10, including a pair of home-runs and two doubles. Perhaps surprisingly, Goldschmidt has had trouble: he’s 2-for-10 with five strikeouts. There aren’t many other starting pitchers who’ve struck Goldy out half of his at-bats: Max Scherzer, Dallas Keuchel, Matt Harvey and Zack Greinke is a fairly elite club for Foltynewicz to be in!