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Despite last night’s blown lead and resulting loss, the D-backs are 5-4 on what could have been a very tricky road-trip through St. Louis, Chicago and San Francisco. I think we’d mostly have settled for a split of those ten games, ahead of it starting. So it’d be great to win this final game and go home 6-4, undefeated over the last four series (three wins and a split of four against the Cardinals). We will have to do it with the Sunday line-up, which includes Blanco starting in center field rather than A.J. Pollock, and Herrmann behind the plate. I never thought I would miss Jeff Mathis’s bat in the line-up, but Herrmann is 0-for-20 since his last hit, on July 18.
We’ll also need Corbin to pitch slightly better than he did against the Cubs, when he lasted only three innings. The bullpen is definitely going to appreciate the off-day tomorrow, before beginning a stretch of 20 consecutive games. It would not surprise me if we see a taxi squad from Reno being used during this time, with the likes of Rubby De La Rosa being rotated in and out to help keep arms fresh. But as for today, just like with Anthony Banda on Friday night, the lesser opponent and more pitcher-friendly environment should help Corbin. Be nice to see him go at least six innings, and ideally seven.
Corbin only last four innings when he faced the Giants earlier this season, on April 4, taking the loss by allowing two earned runs on seven hits. However, the D-backs have done good work against Jeff Samardzija, beating him both times they faced him, and racking up nine earned runs over his 12 innings of work. He did strike out 16 over that time, but also walked six and allowed three home-runs. On the day when Sharknado 5 premieres on SyFy, I think it’s a good omen, perhaps suggesting there will be more Shark-related carnage happening by the water in San Francisco this afternoon.