AZ Snake Pit - Game #51, May 27: Diamondbacks 1, Brewers 6An unofficial Arizona Diamondbacks community and bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47033/azsnakepit_f.png2017-05-27T19:04:46-04:00http://www.azsnakepit.com/rss/stream/154692052017-05-27T19:04:46-04:002017-05-27T19:04:46-04:00Diamondbacks 1, Brewers 6
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<img alt="Arizona Diamondbacks v Milwaukee Brewers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SAqJmdRsnK8SkHeUXMLmvit5XpU=/0x0:3196x2131/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/54982001/689092228.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Somebody took a no-hitter into the 8th inning today. Spoiler: it wasn’t Zack Greinke</p> <p id="LK3af2">This was one of those days when Torey Lovullo opted to rest everyone, meaning we got a line-up that included <span>Nick Ahmed</span>, Jeff Mathis AND Rey Fuentes. But we can’t blame that for this defeat on a day when the D-backs’ only hit off the opposing starter came from Ahmed, and <span>Zack Greinke</span> had his worst outing since mid-April. Former After walking the first two batters, former Arizona starter <span>Chase Anderson</span> looked a totally different pitcher, throwing 95+ mph regularly, and striking out 11 <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> before allowing his first hit, to Ahmed, leading off the eighth inning. </p>
<p id="Eoqyd1">Meanwhile, Greinke matched him zero for zero until he hit trouble in the fourth, and the <a href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Brewers</a> took the lead with a bases-clearing two-out double. Zack ended up lasting only 5.1 innings, and was charged with five runs on five hits and two walks, striking out six. <span>Tom Wilhelmsen</span> allowed a run, and <span>Andrew Chafin</span> pitched a scoreless eighth, as Arizona’s winning streak game to a sudden halt at five games. The D-backs did at least avoid the shutout, scoring in the ninth on a Chris Owings RBI.</p>
<p id="rss1GR">scottiej21 will be along with the full recap in a bit. Unless he found something better to do, for which I wouldn’t blame him...</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2017/5/27/15705556/arizona-diamondbacks-milwaukee-brewers-scoreJim McLennan2017-05-27T15:30:34-04:002017-05-27T15:30:34-04:00Preview, #51: Diamondbacks @ Brewers
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<figcaption>Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The D-backs go for their sixth straight win, with ace Zack Greinke on the mound in Milwaukee.</p>
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<h3>Today's Lineups</h3>
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<th align="left">ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS</th> <th align="left">MILWAUKEE BREWERS</th>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Gregor Blanco - RF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Eric Sogard - 2B</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Chris Owings - 2B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Eric Thames - LF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Paul Goldschmidt - 1B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Jesus Aguilar - 1B</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Jake Lamb - 3B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Travis Shaw - 3B</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Yasmany Tomas - LF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Domingo Santana - RF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Reymond Fuentes - CF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Jett Bandy - C</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Nick Ahmed - SS</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Keon Broxton - CF</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Jeff Mathis - C</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Orlando Arcia - SS</td>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Zack Greinke - RHP</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Chase Anderson - RHP</td>
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<p>The D-backs certainly appear to be attempting to win this one with pitching given a lower half of the order with goes Fuentes, Ahmed, Mathis and the pitcher's spot. There's an argument to be made that Greinke is close to being the second-best hitter among those players. Going by career OPS+, we have Ahmed at 61, Mathis (52), Fuentes (42) and Grienke (51). Admittedly, Zack has not been the hitter we have to expect this season, being just 1-for-22: in each of the previous three seasons, he has batted better than .200, with an overall line of .212/.246/.313. That compares favorably to Mathis's line over the same period: .203/.252/.297.</p>
<p>Our pitchers' hitting in general has been close to league average in terms of a triple slash: the D-backs sit at .127/.191/.137, for a .328 OPS, while league average has been .126/.160/.159 for a .320 OPS. So, a few more walks, but less power. Indeed, Arizona's seven walks by their pitchers is best in the league: there are seven teams in the NL who have <i>combined</i> for that many bases on balls by their hurlers. But so far we have only one extra-base hit (a double off the bat of Robbie Ray), and have only driven in one run (by Taijuan Walker), the latter tied for fewest in the league.</p>
<p>I'm not sure if Greinke's lackluster performance at the plate is the result of team direction, telling him to rein in his swing. You may remember, he hit the disabled list in July last season, suffering from an oblique strain which he apparently picked up at the plate. He ended up having to miss about six weeks as a result, and I can imagine Torey Lovullo telling Zack that his value to the team is more as a pitcher, and not to do anything that could potentially jeopardize taking the mound. The way Greinke has pitched over his last seven starts - an ERA of 2.32 and a K:BB ratio of 64:7 in only 50.1 innings - I wouldn't blame the team.</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2017/5/27/15705136/preview-arizona-diamondbacks-milwaukee-brewersJim McLennan