Grit Index: Skaggs shaky in D-backs’ latest home loss to Giants
Jun 9, 2013, 11:59 PM | Updated: Jun 10, 2013, 2:57 pm
The Arizona Diamondbacks dropped their series finale on Sunday against the San Francisco Giants 6-2 and subsequently dropped the three-game series, as well. The D-backs dropped to 35-28 on the season and the Giants improved to 33-29.
Tyler Skaggs made his ninth career major league start but just his third of the 2013 season. Again he wasn’t nearly as sharp as his first start back in the big leagues on Memorial Day. He managed to make it through just five innings plus one batter in the sixth, giving up eight hits, five earned runs, walked three and recorded four strikeouts.
His troubles started in the first inning, where he faced eight batters, allowed four hits and two earned runs. He also walked one and threw 30-plus pitches. San Francisco tacked on one run in the third, and added to the lead with solo home runs by Marco Scutaro and Brandon Belt in the fourth and fifth respectively.
Skaggs is now 0-1 with an 8.44 ERA in his last two starts. He’s allowed 10 earned runs in 10 2/3 innings pitched.
With Skaggs barely getting into the sixth inning and throwing a total of 102 pitches, once again the D-backs bullpen was called upon early in a game. They used Brad Ziegler, Matt Reynolds and will Harris.
The Good:
The Diamondbacks managed to keep their streak alive of scoring a least one run in every game this season. They recorded both of their runs in the fourth inning with Miguel Montero and Jason Kubel crossing home plate. Center fielder A.J. Pollock recorded the lone RBI in the inning, as Kubel came home on a balk by pitcher Chad Gaudin.
Arizona is the only team in Major League baseball not to be shutout this season. The 63 game streak to start a season scoring at least one run is a franchise record, eclipsing the previous mark set in 2012, which was 54.
The 63-game streak is also the longest in the National League since the 2005 Reds, which was also 63 games.
The Bad:
First baseman Paul Goldschmidt’s streak of consecutive games with an RBI ended Sunday at eight games. Heading into Sunday’s game, he was tied with Luis Gonzalez for the club record.
The D-backs didn’t have a single leadoff hitter reach base today and recorded just six hits total.
Noted:
The Giants have struggled away from home this season, but apparently not in Arizona. They are 5-1 against the D-backs at Chase Field this season. In every other away ballpark, they are a combined 7-17.
He Said It:
“We’ve been in a little stretch right here like this where our starters have been giving up a lot of runs and it puts a big strain on the bullpen, they’re exhausted down there. It kind of has an affect on the players too, our fielding hasn’t been as sharp lately. Just a tough period of time; road trip, the schedule, it’s just accumulating on us right now but we gotta fight through it. We’re not the only team that has to go through this type of ordeal. We’ll get outta here and get back on the road, where we’ve been playing really good.” — Manager Kirk Gibson on the rough stretch his club has gone through lately.
Up Next:
After a brief three game homestand, the Diamondbacks will hit the road for a six-game, seven-day road trip with games in Los Angeles against the Dodgers and San Diego against the Padres.
Monday’s game will feature a pair of lefties with Wade Miley taking on Clayton Kershaw. Miley is 4-5 on the season with a 4.92 ERA. He won his last start on June 5th against the Cardinals in St. Louis, ending a four-game losing streak for him. He’s 3-1 with a 3.19 ERA in five career starts against L.A., four of those were quality starts.
The Diamondbacks as a whole have won four straight against the Dodgers and are 5-1 this season, including a three-game sweep in California back in May. They are 9-2 in their last eleven games at Dodger Stadium and 13-4 in their last 17.
Keep an eye on Paul Goldschmidt in the upcoming series. He’s hitting .458 (11-for-24) with one double, four home runs and 11 RBI in six games against the Dodgers this season.
First pitch on Monday is slated for 7:10 p.m. and you can catch them on Arizona Sports 620.
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