Arizona Diamondbacks Blown Calls of the Week: July 10-18

Summary

• Before we get into this week’s report, a caveat. These games include a series in the new Braves home, and there may be some issues with the automated process there. According to the Hardball Times, “Pitch positions at home plate as measured and reported from games at the new SunTrust Park in Atlanta in 2017 were notably inconsistent with the rest of the league data from this season. The majority of games that evaluated as most divergent from the consensus strike zone were in the Braves’ new stadium, and were spread throughout all months leading up to the All-Star Break.”
• 44 bad calls in total. That’s an average of 11.0 per game, but the above may explain the high tallies for the three games there. Not that the one tonight in Cincinnati was any better, however. The split was against Arizona, by a margin of 17-27, with all four games on the road.
• The totals for the year
  Overall: 350-382 (47.8% favor the D-backs)
  Home: 185-175 (51.4%)
  Road: 165-207 (44.4%)
• Best-called game: July 16, 1-7 @ ATL (Ryan Blakney). Though still with seven blown calls, this one benefited from the generally low standards of the week.
• Worst-called game: July 15, 5-8 @ ATL (Paul Nauert). Nauert does at least get some credit for being consistent, even if his strikezone appears to be have been sponsored by the US Postal Service. To the right and down, his calls were generally accurate and reliable. But the left and up, and you can kiss any chance of a called strike goodbye.

• Worst confirmed call. The first game after the All-Star Break, and we have to face R.A. Dickey. Never mind the struggles of the batters, they also had to contend with a home-plate umpire who clearly had issues with Dickey’s pitches as well. This was the pitch which rung up Jake Lamb to start the sixth, when he should have walked. It was followed by four straight hits, so arguably cost Arizona a run. And the D-backs lost this contest by a one-run margin. You can make a credible case the call below is why.

The individual games

July 14, 3-4 @ ATL (Dana DeMuth)

• 11 bad calls (3.75% of pitches)
• 3 help, 8 hurt
• 4 outrageously bad calls
• Bad call score: 984
• Worst call

July 15, 5-8 @ ATL (Paul Nauert)

• 14 bad calls (5.45% of pitches)
• 5 help, 9 hurt
• 2 outrageously bad calls
• Bad call score: 1,176
• Worst call

This game was also notorious for another call, Dansby Swanson getting to walk to first on a ball that was strike three. This was tagged at a 24% agreement level, so was bad, albeit a little short of outrageous. That loaded the bases, and they were then rapidly emptied by a three-run double into the gap, giving Atlanta a lead they never relinquished. [There were suggestions we got the benefit of a call earlier in the same at-bat, but @DiamondbacksUmp was silent on that one] Again, it’s only one call that went against us, but it was undeniably pivotal.

July 16, 1-7 @ ATL (Ryan Blakney)

• 7 bad calls (2.76% of pitches)
• 2 help, 5 hurt
• 1 outrageously bad call
• Bad call score: 578
• Worst call

July 18, 11-2 @ CIN (Eric Cooper)

• 12 bad calls (3.85% of pitches)
• 7 help, 5 hurt
• 5 outrageously bad call
• Bad call score: 1,016
• Worst call