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Just time for a quick preview this morning, what with a) it being an East-coast day game, and b) me having a bit of a lie-in, since it’s Sunday. Obviously, the D-backs need a win here: they don’t want to start the second-half of the season off by being swept. Although it has to be said, the Braves are probably doing a lot better than many people expected. They sit right between the Cubs and the Cardinals in the standings, the two teams many people think are the biggest threats to us and the Rockies for a wild-card spot. With Freddie Freeman now back in the line-up, I think they have a good chance of at least playing spoiler down the stretch. Just as long as it’s not to us...
It’s probably just me, but I’m still not convinced about Zack Godley. Certainly not his fault. He has made 11 consecutive starts allowing three runs or fewer, which is the longest by a Diamondback since Ian Kennedy went a dozen in 2011. He is striking out close to a batter per inning, with a K:BB of more than 3:1. His FIP of 3.10 is really not too far off his actual ERA of 2.58. The only thing I can really point to is that his BABIP of .240 is 45 points below his career average. It’s likely a result of the weak contact he has been generating, but if that regresses today, it could get ugly: we saw in the sixth inning alone yesterday what can happen.
Hopefully not though. I’m pulling for us getting out of Atlanta with a win, and moving on to Cincinnati, where Zack and Robbie can then win us the series. But let’s start by ending the losing streak here.