AZ Snake Pit - Game #124: 8/26, Diamondbacks 7, White Sox 2An unofficial Arizona Diamondbacks community and bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47033/azsnakepit_f.png2022-08-26T22:54:16-04:00http://www.azsnakepit.com/rss/stream/230866362022-08-26T22:54:16-04:002022-08-26T22:54:16-04:00Turambar’s Take: ChiSox 2, D-backs 7
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<img alt="Syndication: Arizona Republic" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JNrH98WCn8qAnPnimZ2cnkNgLjI=/0x539:2487x2197/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71290628/usa_today_18899209.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>“YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!” | Joe Rondone / USA TODAY NETWORK</figcaption>
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<p>#winning </p> <p id="rUbI3g">Let’s go!!!!!!!</p>
<p id="jxm3XE">Friday’s here and it’s happy hour, so grab your pint and let’s watch some baseball!!!!!</p>
<p id="K3JLt6"><strong>Inning 1:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li id="jqM0UA">Cueto. Feels like I’ve seen him pitch most of my adult life, which is mostly true. He’s certainly been in the majors far longer than all three of the Dbacks he sent down in the 1st inning combined. Good for him.</li>
<li id="jCvIKU">Henry's no Cueto but he’s young enough to give it the old college try. He cruised through the 1st easily enough and we’re quickly off to the 2nd tied at zero.</li>
</ul>
<p id="H1cwyj"><strong>Inning 2: </strong></p>
<ul>
<li id="ajynQe">Bases get loaded on Cueto right quick; Walker single, Varsho single and Luplow walk. Alek drives in Walker with a sac fly and then Rojas really gets things going with a bases clearing double AND THEN Rivera puts the cherry on top with a two run bomb. Folks. We winning. 6-0 going in to the bottom of the 2nd.</li>
<li id="cd9Wtb">Henry once more holds court in ChiTown, and I imagine that comfy lead helps a bit. Lol. 6-0 going in to the 3rd.</li>
</ul>
<p id="j92SKJ"><strong>Inning 3:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li id="0KvfB1">Cueto’s bad day becomes worse with a Varsho solo shot and it’s looking like his night will either be short or long to protect the bullpen going forward in to this series. Either way we’re very much in the catbird seat. 7-0 Dbacks going in to the bottom of the frame.</li>
<li id="kVMC7G">King Alek!!!!!!! Huge diving snag to once again show how valuable he’s been thus far this season. Henry holds up his end if the bargain and we’re comfortably off to the 4th </li>
</ul>
<p id="xRNAId"><strong>Inning 4: </strong></p>
<ul>
<li id="V9s9TD">We are a merciful ball club, and Henry a true avatar of mercy let’s the ChiSox sample a taste of hope as he allows a loan run to Elvis Andrus. On that note I’ve noticed The King in attendance on numerous occasions and in numerous forms this game….</li>
<li id="b0lfl3">
</li>
</ul>
<p id="rMJEfv"><strong>Inning 5:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li id="uL9RdX">Up by only 6 now our bats decide to mail things in, though I guess I should go easy on em…with our bullpen though nothing is safe.</li>
<li id="vmBlNO">Henry is still dealing, but kinda getting in a little trouble. Lucky for him Alek owns the outfield and he has yet another circus catch; this time likely saving two runs. Wow. 7-1 going in to the 6th.</li>
</ul>
<p id="X3fyTY"><strong>Inning 6:</strong></p>
<ul><li id="u4Veiw">Cueto’s night is over for the ChiSix and we now have a Tanner Banks to rob in his stead. No heist committed by us in the 6th, but I got a feeling we’ll tack another run on before this game is through. <br>Tommy Henry’s night is also over and our shaky and often frustrating bullpen gets the nod, starting with Ginkel. My fears thus far appear to groundless and our comfy 6run lead is still very much comfy going in to the 7th.</li></ul>
<p id="YXjmBt"><strong>Inning 7:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li id="ZfMHCI">Heat’s still on hold for Bank’s here in the 7th, but there’s still hopefully another inning left for him for me to make good on a bad pun.</li>
<li id="WnoZAr">Huh. Bullpen doesn’t fail for a 2nd inning in a row. Wild. Ginkel cruises once more and we’re off to the 8th still up 7-1.</li>
</ul>
<p id="xTSzqr"><strong>Inning 8:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li id="rm0EIh">Banks is not just ruining my puns, he’s also ruining a prop bet I made involving home runs from Dbacks who have yet to hit one this game. Meh, we’re winning. </li>
<li id="8CM69X">Moronta comes up to the mound in Ginkel’s place and his rotund frame carries us one inning closer to victory. Still 7-1 going in to the 9th.</li>
</ul>
<p id="KUjwhT"><strong>Inning 9:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li id="BR0fCI">Whelp, my prop bets are toast as no homers occurred in our half of the frame, but I’ll endure.</li>
<li id="GANKCA">Holton service atop the mound is not perfect, but despite the solo shot he gives up it’s just fine. Win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="xm4b1y"><strong>Bells And Whistles, by ISH95</strong></h2>
<p id="2FX1fc"></p>
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<img alt="The Fangraphs WPA chart, showing that the Diamondbacks had complete control of this game, basically starting in the third inning" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/H_GzrCnF_J9aA3DsOMWnZRT8ZgY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23974664/chart__1_.png">
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<p id="miu7Jl">Leverage Index provided by Fangraphs</p>
<p id="lZjMp5">Jim is AWOL, or something, and I’m not doing anything productive like, IDK, writing PYW’s, so I figured I’d jump in and help out. Despite the easy win, there weren’t any massively big WPA%’s. Josh Rojas lead the way with 19.1%,Varsho right behind him at 11.8%, with everyone else being in single digits, either plus or minus. Carson Kelly had the misfortune being the worst performer, with a -6% outing. Honestly, makes it a better win for me, as that shows it was a team effort, and not just one person having a great night that carried the game.</p>
<p id="jjrXCm">COTN goes to Jack. Really is just like writing PYW’s!</p>
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<img alt="That was a totally unsurprising very quick first inning. I’m setting the D-backs over/under on runs for the series at 9.5. Okay I’ve set up enough “anti” and “walk of shame” material for this game. Back to Mr. Sunshine and positivity ;)" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/S8XlI2P4jQ8WVWPjlVs4ODXeFOQ=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23974671/COTN.png">
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<p id="z33f07">We thank Jack for his service for motivating the Diamondbacks to prove him wrong :-) The Diamondbacks go for the series win against the Chicago LaRussa’s tomorrow at 4:10 Arizona time!</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2022/8/26/23323966/turambars-take-chisox-2-dbacks-7Turambar2022-08-26T20:00:00-04:002022-08-26T20:00:00-04:00Gameday Thread, #124: 8/26 @ White Sox
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<img alt="Mother Teresa" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HRe875AEL4W7JNTE1u8pnwcjoaM=/0x0:3074x2049/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71290386/2642002.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Mark Edwards/Keystone Features/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Born on this day in 1910, Mother Teresa, Albanian-Indian nun, missionary, Catholic saint, and Nobel Prize laureate</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2022/8/26/23322600/gameday-thread-124-8-26-white-soxJim McLennan2022-08-26T19:00:00-04:002022-08-26T19:00:00-04:00Diamondbacks Game Preview #124: 8/26 @ White Sox
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<img alt="Pittsburgh Pirates v Arizona Diamondbacks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gAr_lTHI2qWeu-ut7TE0E8J11s8=/0x126:1773x1308/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71290234/1414700654.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Kelsey Grant/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>How bad is the D-backs bullpen? Depends how you measure it. </p> <div id="JB5nj7">
<div class="pane sports_data_widget lineup clearfix">
<h3>Today's Lineups</h3>
<div class="lineup">
<table width="100%" cellspacing="0" class="zebra">
<thead>
<tr>
<th align="left">DIAMONDBACKS</th>
<th align="left">WHITE SOX</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Josh Rojas - 2B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Romy Gonzalez - 2B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Emmanuel Rivera - 3B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Andrew Vaughn - DH</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Ketel Marte - DH</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Jose Abreu - 1B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Christian Walker - 1B</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Eloy Jimenez - LF</td>
</tr>
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<td class="td-last td-name">Daulton Varsho - RF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">AJ Pollock - RF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Jordan Luplow - LF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Elvis Andrus - SS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Alek Thomas - CF</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Josh Harrison - 3B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Carson Kelly - C</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Adam Engel - CF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Geraldo Perdomo - SS</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Seby Zavala - C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name"></td>
<td class="td-first td-name"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="td-last td-name">Tommy Henry - LHP</td>
<td class="td-first td-name">Johnny Cueto - RHP</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="YfdKTk">
<h4 id="JpBF9W">Roster moves</h4>
<p id="4CKAku">The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves yesterday:</p>
<ul>
<li id="n5Hdnq">RHP Reyes Moronta (No. 59) reported to the team and will be active for tonight’s game.</li>
<li id="YTEZ7E">Designated RHP Chris Devenski for assignment.</li>
<li id="hLMR2M">The D-backs’ 40-man roster is at 39.</li>
</ul>
<p id="jGlgcB">Tuesday’s game in Kansas City definitely hurt. Zac Gallen might not have been at his best, but he worked six scoreless innings. Daulton Varsho’s home-run gave the D-backs a fragile 1-0 lead at the stretch, as Torey Lovullo went to the bullpen. Just 21 pitches later, it was a 5-1 deficit, with only one out recorded by Noe Ramirez and Joe Mantiply. If you thought you had heard this tune before, you’d be right. <strong>It was the ninth time this year an Arizona starter had allowed no runs, but the D-backs had lost the game. </strong>No team in the majors has more of those “super tough” losses (the Rays also have nine, but that’s because they use an opener), and it’s already smashed the previous team record for such games, of seven set in 2010. </p>
<p id="87ibrp">Inevitably after such a loss, attention turns to the relief corps. How bad have they been? Well, like many things in baseball, that depends on how you measure it. By ERA, it’s surprisingly middle of the pack: <a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/9lEpL">only 10th-worst in franchise history</a>. But by bullpen losses, they already rank equal fourth most, on 31 losses - the same as in all of 2004 - and there is still six weeks left in the season. They are on pace to come very close to the all-time mark of 41, set last year. That season, the bullpen ERA was 5.08, over five for the first time since 2010, so you could argue this year is actually significant improvement. But the 2022 bullpen is also on course to WIN 32 games, third-most. They’re simply involved more often. </p>
<p id="6o0RYE">As Jack mentioned in <em>Snake Bytes</em> yesterday, you can also use Win Probability - the cumulative tally of what the bullpen has done to our chance of victory. <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=rel&lg=all&qual=0&type=3&season=2022&month=0&season1=1998&ind=1&team=15,ts&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=1998-01-01&enddate=2022-12-31">There, it’s pretty grim</a>, with a total of -381%: but that’s still not even half the tally last year where they racked up a staggering -860%. By WP, that was the fourth-worst bullpen in NL history. But Arizona was not even the worst of 2021, a dubious honor belonging to the Nationals at -989%. On an individual level, bad though Mark Melancon has been at -189%, there have been three worse relievers for the D-backs. In 2002, Brett Prinz was at -191%; in the team’s first season, Felix Rodriguez was at -247%, and that dreadful 2010 ‘pen was anchored by Chad Qualls’s -286%.</p>
<p id="6FIo9w">So, bad though this lot have been by some measures... things could be worse!</p>
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2022/8/26/23322645/diamondbacks-game-preview-124-8-26-white-soxJim McLennan