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This is the eighth time in franchise history, and the first since June 16-17, 2012 that the D-backs have been shut out in back-to-back games. Then, they lost consecutive 2-0 decisions to the Angels in Anaheim, with a scoreless streak that reached 21 innings before Arizona finally scored. Here are details of all the times:
- Aug 27-28, 2018: 0-2 @ SFG, 0-1 @ SFG, 23 scoreless innings
- Jun 16-17, 2012: 0-2 @ LAA, 0-2 @ LAA, 21 scoreless innings
- Aug 22-24, 2010: 0-1 vs COL, 0-5 @ SDP, 20 scoreless innings
- Jun 1-2, 2010: 0-1 @ LAD, 0-1 @ LAD, 31 scoreless innings (those two defeats were in 10 and 14 innings respectively!)
- May 29-30, 2004: 0-10 @ LAD, 0-3 @ LAD, 21 scoreless innings
- July 1-2, 2002: 0-4 vs. LAD, 0-8 vs. LAD, 23 scoreless innings
- Sep 19-20, 2000: 0-1 @ LAD, 0-1 @ LAD, 21 scoreless innings (part of four consecutive one-run losses, all tied in the middle of the eighth or later).
- Sep 19-20, 1998: 0-5 vs. ATL, 0-10 vs. ATL, 19 scoreless innings
So, if the pattern hold, the D-backs are likely to score early tonight, as they’ve only gone past 23 scoreless innings once. It’s certainly VERY unlikely they’ll be shutout again. Since 1998, there have 324 occasions of a team being blanked in consecutive games. 306 of them, so 94.4%, found that the third time was the charm. Of course, there were always those other eighteen... Most recently the Nationals, who were shutout three times in a row just last week, losing 2-0 to the Phillies, then 3-0 twice to the Mets. And last year, the Royals went one worse, being outscored 32-0 over four games against the Indians and Rays. That tied the MLB record, and was the first such streak since 1992.
Conversely, it’s also the ninth time, and first since those 2012 contests in Anaheim, we’ve lost consecutive games while allowing two or fewer runs in each. The September 2000 streak was the worst, as the two shutouts were preceded by a 2-1 loss. That meant a three-game streak where our pitchers had a 1.46 ERA, and the team went 0-3. But in June 1999, the D-backs allowed one earned run over 19 innings on June 25-26, and lost both games to St. Louis. Randy Johnson pitched a complete game five-hitter, striking out 14 and took a 1-0 L in the first. The next day, an unearned run in the 7th forced extra innings, and another error in the 10th led to another unearned run and a 2-1 defeat...