By the numbers: Untimely hitting plagues solid week for D-backs starters
May 12, 2019, 7:05 PM | Updated: May 13, 2019, 7:34 am
Arizona Diamondbacks' Wilmer Flores follows the flight of his RBI-double off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland in the third inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 4, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
A rough four-game series for the Arizona Diamondbacks wrapped up on Sunday as the Atlanta Braves defense held the D-backs to just three runs on 14 hits.
Leaving runners on base was an ugly trend for the D-backs not only against the Braves but against the Tampa Bay Rays in the first three-game set of the week.
The D-backs finished its last two series 2-5, losing the first two games against the Rays before putting a two-game win streak together to end the series at Tampa. Then came a 1-3 series loss to Atlanta.
Arizona looks to rediscover its winning ways on Monday as the Pittsburgh Pirates come to town, a team that the D-backs swept in a four-game series three weeks ago.
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Before that, lets take a look at the week that was — by the numbers.
62
The D-backs left 62 runners on base from Monday to Sunday. They left 40 total runners on base in the four-game series against the Braves, including 15 in the series opener, a 10 inning affair Arizona won 3-2. The Braves left only 5 runners on base that game.
Arizona added another 22 runners left on base in the three-game series against the Rays.
4
Starting pitching continues to be a relative strength for Arizona as four of the seven starting pitchers this week earned a quality start. Luke Weaver, Merrill Kelly, Zack Greinke and Taylor Clarke all pitched seven innings with each giving up three runs or less.
The D-backs are tied for fourth in the MLB in innings pitched per start with starting pitchers averaging 5.7 innings.
11
Robbie Ray had one of his best outings of the season on Wednesday, striking out 11 in 5.2 innings. He gave up just one earned run as well, meaning that he was just one out away from making the D-backs’ fifth quality start of the week.
The game turned into a 13-inning marathon the D-backs won 3-2.
.417
Wilmer Flores’ batting average during the week-long stretch. Flores was 10-for-24 coming into Sunday with one home run and four RBI. He is third on the team in batting average for qualified position players. His .282 average on the season is nearly .020 points higher than his career .263 batting average.
2
Blake Swihart had his best week in a D-backs uniform. The utility player, acquired earlier this season from the Boston Red Sox smacked two home runs in just 14 at bats. There were nine D-backs players with more at bats than Swihart last week. Adam Jones was the only other D-back with two home runs.
