D-backs fall to Cardinals in extra innings: By The Numbers

For the second straight night, the Arizona Diamondbacks were having trouble cracking the opposing starting pitcher.

After being one-hit by St. Louis Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright on Tuesday, Kirk Gibson’s squad spun off just two hits against Michael Wacha Wednesday, though reaching base three other times on free-pass walks.

But Wacha’s own teammate cracked him.

First baseman Matt Adams sent a line-drive foul ball into the Cardinals’ dugout in the bottom of the sixth, striking Wacha on the wrist and prompting his removal from the game, though his pitch count was only at 88.

Then the Diamondbacks drummed up some offense.

An inning later, in the eighth, Gerardo Parra put the Diamondbacks up 2-1 with a two-run home run which scored pinch hitter Ender Inciarte.

But the Cardinals immediately erased the lead in their half of the eighth, thanks to a pinch-hit sacrifice fly by Jon Jay.

Despite maneuvering around ninth and 10th-inning rallies, the Diamondbacks ultimately succumbed to the Cardinals’ high-octane offense in the 12th, when Trevor Cahill took his sixth loss of the season.

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

2.36

For the fifth time this season, the Diamondbacks scored zero runs of support behind McCarthy. He now has some of the worst run support in baseball and by far the worst run support on the Diamondbacks, who average scoring just 2.36 runs in McCarthy’s starts. The next worst run support given to a member of the Diamondbacks rotation is 3.90 runs per start for Wade Miley.

6

McCarthy has allowed three runs or less in six of his last seven starts, accruing a 3.21 ERA in that span.

9

McCarthy’s start Wednesday came on the eve of his nine-year anniversary of his major league debut.

20

Despite ultimately winning, the Cardinals left 12 runners on base Wednesday against the Diamondbacks, who left eight on the night; 20 total baserunners were stranded between the two teams.

30

Paul Goldschmidt’s 10th-inning double was his 30th extra-base hit of the season. That mark leads the National League and all of baseball, with the exception of Edwin Encarnacion, who has 31 after a two-home run performance Wednesday. Goldschmidt was 1-for-4 on Wednesday.

36

Evan Marshall made a career-high 36-pitch appearance Wednesday, pitching the 9th and 10th inning for the Diamondbacks. He impressed in the 10th, escaping a one-out, bases-loaded jam after allowing a leadoff double to Matt Holliday.

37

A total of 37 players were used in Wednesday’s affair — 18 for the Diamondbacks and 19 for the Cardinals, including a total of 13 pitchers.

78.5

The average height (in inches) of the game’s starting pitchers. McCarthy measures in at 6-foot-7 while Wacha stand 6-foot-6 inches tall.

88

Wacha allowed just two hits, and three walks, to the Diamondbacks through six innings pitched. He surely would have stayed in the game if it weren’t for a freak injury caused by an errant Matt Adams foul ball which was sent ricocheting through the Cardinals’ dugout.