AZ Snake Pit - Game #142: 9/11, Arizona Diamondbacks 3, San Francisco Giants 5An unofficial Arizona Diamondbacks community and bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47033/azsnakepit_f.png2016-09-11T19:49:39-04:00http://www.azsnakepit.com/rss/stream/126437572016-09-11T19:49:39-04:002016-09-11T19:49:39-04:00Diamondbacks 3, Giants 5: Beef Good, Bullpen Bad
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<img alt="Members of the military and first responders were on hand as the Diamondbacks remembered 9/11." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lHN0yfPncT5OXACTXkCAiEalQmo=/0x82:2250x1582/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50789577/GettyImages-602998008.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Members of the military and first responders were on hand as the Diamondbacks remembered 9/11. | Darin Wallentine/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Despite a home run and RBI single from Welington Castillo, the Diamondbacks fell to the Giants. It wasn't all the bullpen's fault, but they certainly didn't help any.</p> <p>In <span>Zack Greinke's</span> last start, he allowed five home runs to lose in impressive fashion. At first, it looked as if today would be more of the same, as <span>Denard Span</span> launched a leadoff home run to right, giving the <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Giants</a> the early lead. After giving a single to <span>Buster Posey</span>, he settled down and would retire eight in a row before Posey's second single, allowing just the one run through five innings.</p>
<p>In Matt Moore's last start, he walked four and allowed six runs in less than three innings. Unfortunately, the <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Diamondbacks</a> couldn't force him to repeat that outing. He would walk just one in seven innings of work. However, he would allow eight hits, including three extra base hits. The first of those, <span>Jake Lamb's</span> triple to center, put a runner on third with less than two outs, and Brandon Drury's single tied the game.</p>
<p>Zack Greinke worked his way in and out of trouble in the fifth, getting Denard Span to ground out with runners on second and third. In the bottom of the fifth, the Diamondbacks would briefly take their only lead of the game. <span>Chris Owings</span> picked up a one-out double and scored on Castillo's single.</p>
<p>While Greinke had run into a bit of trouble in the fifth, he lost the plot (and the strike zone) entirely in the sixth. A leadoff walk to <span>Angel Pagan</span> was followed by a long fly out by Posey, and then consecutive walks to <span>Brandon Crawford</span> and Hunter Pence. Brandon Belt's single scored one, Joe Panik's groundout scored another, and Greinke would walk his fourth hitter of the inning (this one intentionally) before retiring Moore to end it, with the Diamondbacks trailing 3-2. They wouldn't recover. Moore worked two more solid innings before turning it over to the bullpen.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks bullpen was exactly the bullpen we have all come to know and love over the past few months. The combination of <span>Edwin Escobar</span> and <span>Randall Delgado</span> gave up two more runs in the seventh, although <span>Steve Hathaway</span>, <span>Jake Barrett</span>, and <span>Enrique Burgos</span> combined to retire seven in a row.</p>
<p>The offense tried to fight back, with <span>Welington Castillo</span> launching one to left off of <span>Sergio Romo</span>, and <span>Yasmany Tomas</span> following with a single before Bruce Bochy started playing matchups, getting <span>Will Smith</span> to strike out Jake Lamb and <span>Hunter Strickland</span> to strike out Brandon Drury. But there would be another fight back in the ninth against Strickland. <span>Socrates Brito</span> pinch hit for <span>Mitch Haniger</span> and doubled, and advanced to third on Jean Segura's ground out. But Owings lined out to Panik to end the game, and give the Diamondbacks their sixth loss in a row.</p>
<p>Had Greinke not walked four in the sixth, and the bullpen not allowed another two runs, this could have been a different game. I eagerly anticipate the front office talking about how there were good signs and how this game someone shows that a team on a pace to lose nearly 100 games is, in fact, a contending team. How long will it be until they realize that the only way the Diamondbacks are a contending team is if MLB decides to contract half the league, I'm not sure.</p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Beef Wellington: Welington Castillo, 15%</i><br><i>Roast Beef: <span>Socrates Brito</span>, 10.8%<br><b>Tainted Beef: Randall Delgado, -19.4%</b></i></p>
<p>Slow Gameday thread, with only 13 in attendance. Those few accounted for 112 comments, with Jackwriter taking top honors with 35. No comment of the thread, as nothing managed more than a solitary rec, largely the product of having so few in attendance.</p>
<p>The Diamondbacks will strive (possibly) to end their six game losing streak tomorrow night against the <a href="https://www.purplerow.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Rockies</a>. Game will probably start about the time Monday Night Football is getting out of hand, so no excuses, unless you have to cook, study, or something like that.</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2016/9/11/12882808/diamondbacks-3-giants-5-beef-good-bullpen-badpreston.salisbury2016-09-11T19:34:50-04:002016-09-11T19:34:50-04:00Diamondbacks 3, Giants 5
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<figcaption>Darin Wallentine/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Arizona dropped their sixth game in a row, being swept by San Francisco, as they had been by Los Angeles. </p> <p>So much for playing "spoiler", eh? This one lasted two pitches, as the Giants led off the game with a home-run against Zack Greinke. To our ace's credit, he did then settle down considerably, at least until the sixth inning where he walked four batters, two of whom came round to score. He ended up going six innings, allowing three runs on six hits and those four walks, with three strikeouts. The margin of defeat then showed up in the seventh, as Randall Delgado allowed a two-runs double to Hunter Pence. Jake Barrett and Enrique Burgos then worked scoreless innings for the D-backs.</p>
<p>The home team tied things up in the second, on a Jake Lamb triple and Brandon Drury single. They then briefly took the lead in the fifth, Welington Castillo driving in the go-ahead run. Beef then made it a two-run game with his 13th home-run in the eighth, and Socrates Brito got the tying run to the plate after he led off the bottom of the ninth with a double. That proved false hope, as the next three batters failed to trouble the scorer and the Diamondbacks had lost their sixth game in a row. Castillo, Drury and Paul Goldschmidt each got two hits,</p>
<p>Preston will be along in a bit with the full recap.</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2016/9/11/12882928/diamondbacks-giants-scoreJim McLennan2016-09-11T14:00:08-04:002016-09-11T14:00:08-04:00Diamondbacks Game Preview, #142: Walk away
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/a74IsrSTXx6rmF3bryZB_RwyYi0=/0x109:2140x1536/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50783927/GettyImages-468869962.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Christian Petersen/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>After an all-time record low number of walks in July, the Diamondbacks are showing better patience at the plate. </p> <table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; width: 10%;"><img src="https://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/6765357/san_logo.0.png"></td>
<td style="text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; width: 40%;">
<h5>
<span class="sbn-auto-link">Matt Moore</span><br>LHP, 2-4, 2.31<br>
</h5>
</td>
<td style="text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; width: 10%;"><img src="https://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/assets/2572695/ari.png"></td>
<td style="text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; width: 40%;">
<h5>
<span class="sbn-auto-link">Zack Greinke</span><br>RHP, 12-5, 4.54</h5>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50%;">
<span class="sbn-auto-link">Denard Span</span> - CF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span class="sbn-auto-link">Jean Segura</span> - 2B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">
<span class="sbn-auto-link">Angel Pagan</span> - LF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span class="sbn-auto-link">Chris Owings</span> - SS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">
<span class="sbn-auto-link">Buster Posey</span> - C</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span class="sbn-auto-link">Paul Goldschmidt</span> - 1B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">
<span class="sbn-auto-link">Brandon Crawford</span> - SS</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span class="sbn-auto-link"></span>Welington Castillo - C<br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">
<span class="sbn-auto-link">Hunter Pence</span> - RF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span class="sbn-auto-link">Yasmany Tomas</span> - RF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">
<span class="sbn-auto-link">Brandon Belt</span> - 1B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span class="sbn-auto-link"></span><span class="sbn-auto-link">Jake Lamb</span> - 3B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">
<span class="sbn-auto-link">Joe Panik</span> - 2B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span class="sbn-auto-link">Brandon Drury</span> - LF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">
<span class="sbn-auto-link">Eduardo Nunez</span> - 3B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">
<span class="sbn-auto-link">Mitch Hanidger - CF</span><br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Matt Moore - LHP</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Zack Greinke - RHP</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>July this season had the fewest walks of any full calendar month in <span class="sbn-auto-link">Diamondbacks</span> history. In 900 plate-appearances, the team drew just 49 bases on balls: that's a rate of 5.4%, a full third below the National League average for the month of 8.1%. However, things have turned around of late. Since August 1, Arizona has 114 walks in 1426 PA, an 8% rate that's almost half as much again as the team managed in July. Where has this turnaround come from? The table below shows the players who had 20+ PA either in July, or since August 1, together with the numbers of walks, their walk-rates and the change.</p>
<table align="center" border="3" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Name</td>
<td>July PA</td>
<td>July BB</td>
<td>July BB%</td>
<td>Post PA</td>
<td>Post BB</td>
<td>Post BB%</td>
<td>BB% Chg</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span class="sbn-auto-link">Nick Ahmed</span></td>
<td align="center">46</td>
<td align="center">3</td>
<td align="center">6.5%</td>
<td align="center"></td>
<td align="center"></td>
<td align="center"></td>
<td align="center"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span class="sbn-auto-link">Michael Bourn</span></td>
<td align="center">98</td>
<td align="center">1</td>
<td align="center">1.0%</td>
<td align="center"></td>
<td align="center"></td>
<td align="center"></td>
<td align="center"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span class="sbn-auto-link">Socrates Brito</span></td>
<td align="center"></td>
<td align="center"></td>
<td align="center"></td>
<td align="center">32</td>
<td align="center">1</td>
<td align="center">3.1%</td>
<td align="center"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span class="sbn-auto-link">Welington Castillo</span></td>
<td align="center">65</td>
<td align="center">5</td>
<td align="center">7.7%</td>
<td align="center">96</td>
<td align="center">9</td>
<td align="center">9.4%</td>
<td align="center">+1.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Brandon Drury</td>
<td align="center">81</td>
<td align="center">4</td>
<td align="center">4.9%</td>
<td align="center">97</td>
<td align="center">8</td>
<td align="center">8.2%</td>
<td align="center">+3.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Paul Goldschmidt</td>
<td align="center">103</td>
<td align="center">9</td>
<td align="center">8.7%</td>
<td align="center">158</td>
<td align="center">28</td>
<td align="center">17.7%</td>
<td align="center">+9.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tuffy Gosewisch</td>
<td align="center">29</td>
<td align="center">1</td>
<td align="center">3.4%</td>
<td align="center">47</td>
<td align="center">3</td>
<td align="center">6.4%</td>
<td align="center">+3.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span class="sbn-auto-link">Phil Gosselin</span></td>
<td align="center">51</td>
<td align="center">3</td>
<td align="center">5.9%</td>
<td align="center">53</td>
<td align="center">4</td>
<td align="center">7.5%</td>
<td align="center">+1.6%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span class="sbn-auto-link">Chris Herrmann</span></td>
<td align="center">20</td>
<td align="center">1</td>
<td align="center">5.0%</td>
<td align="center"></td>
<td align="center"></td>
<td align="center"></td>
<td align="center"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span class="sbn-auto-link">Mitch Haniger</span></td>
<td align="center"></td>
<td align="center"></td>
<td align="center"></td>
<td align="center">51</td>
<td align="center">5</td>
<td align="center">9.8%</td>
<td align="center"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jake Lamb</td>
<td align="center">81</td>
<td align="center">8</td>
<td align="center">9.9%</td>
<td align="center">139</td>
<td align="center">13</td>
<td align="center">9.4%</td>
<td align="center">-0.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Chris Owings</td>
<td align="center">29</td>
<td align="center">0</td>
<td align="center">0.0%</td>
<td align="center">151</td>
<td align="center">4</td>
<td align="center">2.6%</td>
<td align="center">+2.6%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span class="sbn-auto-link">A.J. Pollock</span></td>
<td align="center"></td>
<td align="center"></td>
<td align="center"></td>
<td align="center">46</td>
<td align="center">5</td>
<td align="center">10.9%</td>
<td align="center"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jean Segura</td>
<td align="center">105</td>
<td align="center">4</td>
<td align="center">3.8%</td>
<td align="center">150</td>
<td align="center">7</td>
<td align="center">4.7%</td>
<td align="center">+0.9%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Yasmany Tomas</td>
<td align="center">90</td>
<td align="center">2</td>
<td align="center">2.2%</td>
<td align="center">123</td>
<td align="center">8</td>
<td align="center">6.5%</td>
<td align="center">+4.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Rickie Weeks</td>
<td align="center">33</td>
<td align="center">5</td>
<td align="center">15.2%</td>
<td align="center">58</td>
<td align="center">6</td>
<td align="center">10.3%</td>
<td align="center">-4.9%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>There are a couple of factors here. One is the change in personnel. We've swapped out Bourn, Ahmed and Herrman - all of whom were below average (<i>way</i> below average in Bourn's case) - for <span class="sbn-auto-link">Haniger</span>, Pollock and Brito, two of whom have shown good plate discipline. Adding each trio together, in July the old three had 164 PA and only five walks, a rate of 3.0%. Their replacements since August 1 have had 129 PA and 11 walks, a vastly-better rate of 8.5% It's hard to say if this is sustainable going forward: Pollock will replace Bourn in 2017, obviously, and that should help, but Herrmann and Ahmed will likely still be around.</p>
<p>However, it also appears that most of the team has been being more patient at the plate, with Weeks the only one to show a significant downturn (and that, in a pretty small sample size). Surprisingly, it's Goldie who has shown the greatest improvement, but Tomas has also done a much better job. That helped his overall value: August, his BA was a season low .232, mostly due to a .173 BABIP, but the extra walks (and, admittedly, his power surge) meant his OPS was a season high. Also, the team walks uptick hasn't been achieved with a similar increase in K's. The July rate was 23.3%, since August 1 it has actually dropped to 21.3%</p>
<p>Hopefully, this is something which the team can continue to do. As we saw earlier this week, great offense can mean you can make the post-season with only mediocre pitching. Basically, every run the team scores - and walks are a significant factor - is another run the team can afford to allow. And the way our pitching is at the moment, we need to score every run we can get...</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2016/9/11/12878998/arizona-diamondbacks-game-preview-san-francisco-giantsJim McLennan