Diamondbacks Gameday Thread, #111: 8/4 @ Twins

I just wanted to reflect a bit on yesterday’s 1-0 loss, which occurred despite a stellar start from Brandon Pfaadt, easily the best of his career. By Game Score, it rated a 75. That’s a full dozen points better than any of the first eight starts he made, and almost double his average to that point (38). As I mentioned on Twitter, it was the highest Game Score by a D-backs pitcher charged with the loss, since April 7, 2019, when Merrill Kelly had a 79 and lost 1-0 against Boston. The franchise high belongs to the Big Unit. On June 25, 1999, he K’d 14 and allowed 1 run in a complete game vs. the Cardinals, and also lost 1-0. That was worth an 85 Game Score. Of 230 pitchers to have had an 85 GS since, only three got an L.

Three pitchers are tied for second, with Game Score losses of 81. As well as another Randy start from 1999, the others are much less expected name. There’s Vidal Nuño, who in August 2014 held the Rockies to two hits and one earned run over eight innings. And Javier Vazquez back in 2005, who tossed a complete game against the Cardinals and lost 2-1. But all told, on seven occasions Randy Johnson started a game for the D-backs, had a Game Score better than 75 and took the loss. No other pitcher has more than one such game. ish85 mentioned “The only surprising part here is that RJ’s game didn’t happen in 04.” No, but that year in August, he did have back-to-back L’s of 76 and 79,

It was part of a four-game streak from August 20-September 5, 2004. In that time, Johnson had a 2.40 ERA, struck out 47 batters over 30 innings, held opponents to a .507 OPS (.160/.205/.302)... and went 0-3, because Arizona scored a total of three runs. However, there is worse in the Randy archives. From June 25-July 10, 1999 - beginning with that 85 Game Score mentioned above - he had a 1.41 ERA, struck out 54 over 32 innings, held opponents to a .517 OPS (.178/.246/.271)... and went 0-4, because Arizona were shutout in all four games. He had Game Scores of 85, 77, 78 and 72. No other pitcher has ever had four consecutive 72+ GS’s in losses.