9th inning grand slam lifts Nationals over Reed, Diamondbacks: By the Numbers

It should’ve been the perfect opportunity for an Arizona Diamondbacks win.

Red-hot Washington Nationals slugger Bryce Harper was ejected in the seventh inning, and Michael Taylor took his place in the lineup. He faced D-backs closer Addison Reed and loaded bases in the ninth inning. Arizona led, 6-5.

Taylor crushed a 1-0 pitch for his first career grand slam to center field and the Diamondbacks lost the game and the series, 9-6.

Here’s a look at the loss, by the numbers.

14

Arizona had 14 hits off the combined efforts of Washington pitchers Gio Gonzalez (ceded nine hits and five runs in five innings pitched), Tanner Roark (three hits in 1.2 innings pitched) and Aaron Barrett (two hits in one inning pitched).

Three of those hits came from Goldschmidt.

14

Goldschmidt’s natural cycle, which would’ve been just the 14th in MLB history, was stopped short in the sixth when he was intentionally walked. He went on to strike out in the eighth, his final at-bat.

#Dbacks Goldschmidt working on a natural cycle – 1B in first, 2B in third, 3B in fifth. “Natural” has happened 13 times, Google said.

— Jack Magruder (@JackMagruder) May 13, 2015

50%

Reed hasn’t had too many save opportunities this season — Wednesday was just his fourth in 2015. He’s blown two of them, with the first coming on Apr. 16 in a 7-6 win over the San Francisco Giants. Reed has converted 81 percent of his save opportunities (34-of-42) since the beginning of the 2014 season.

7.20

Reed’s ERA ballooned to 7.20 for the season — the third-worst mark among the 31 National League pitchers who have recorded a save this season. Only Miami’s Steve Cishek (10.32) and Colorado’s LaTroy Hawkins (10.50) have higher ERAs than Reed.

2

Taylor’s grand slam was only the second Reed has surrendered in his big league career and the first since June 5, 2013 when he was a member of the Chicago White Sox. Seattle’s Kyle Seager connected on a grand slam off of Reed in the top of the 14th inning to give the Mariners a 5-1 lead, but Chicago answered with five of their own in the 14th and won the game 7-5 with two runs in the 16th.

.273

That’s the D-backs’ winning percentage against the Nationals since the beginning of the 2012 season. Washington has won 16 of the 22 games between the two teams.

2

A.J. Pollock drove in two runs Wednesday. It was his first multi-RBI game since April 12 when he had three in a 7-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

5.2

Starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson threw 5.2 innings and ceded four runs (including a homer), four hits and had three strikeouts.