Four-run fifth inning does in McCarthy, D-backs in loss to Cubs: By The Numbers

Another outing, another crooked inning for Brandon McCarthy.

Although to be fair, Tuesday night’s debacle of a fifth inning wasn’t entirely his fault.

In the bottom half of the frame, Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo hit a very playable groundball to Martin Prado.

The Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman couldn’t corral it, however, leading to a two-on, one-out situation for McCarthy.

A situation the right-hander struggled mightily to get out of.

The second-year D-back promptly yielded a sacrifice fly to Nate Schierholtz, a single to right by Starlin Castro and a three-run bomb to right center off the bat of Anthony Rizzo.

When the inning finally did come to an end, McCarthy and the D-backs found themselves in a five-run hole — one they never were able to get out of.

Jason Hammel pitched seven ho-hum innings in opposition of McCarthy, allowing just one solo home run while striking out four in Chicago’s 9-2 victory at Wrigley Field.

0:

Tuesday night was McCarthy’s ninth April start in a D-backs uniform. He fell to 0-6 in those starts, allowing 39 earned runs in the process.

0-for-16:

After being activated off the disabled list April 18, outfielder Cody Ross has struggled to get acclimated at the plate. Ross has started his 2014 campaign 0-for-16 at the dish with eight strikeouts.

1:

D-backs catcher Tuffy Gosewisch recorded his first hit of the season in the top of the sixth inning. His blast over the ivy in left center also marked his first career home run.

3 Part I:

Despite allowing just one hit in 2.1 innings Tuesday, Randall Delgado was pulled in the bottom of the eighth inning and replaced by J.J. Putz.

Putz survived just a third of an inning, as he allowed three earned runs in an outing for the first time this season.

3 Part II:

Center fielder Tony Campana became the third different player to bat lead-off for Arizona in as many days, joining Gerardo Parra and Chris Owings. In that three-game span, the trio went 1-for-12.

5:

Prado’s gaffe in the game-changing fifth was his fifth on the young season. In 2013, he committed 10 all year.

7 Part I:

While McCarthy was only charged with one earned run in Tuesday’s fifth inning, the frame was the seventh crooked one he’s been associated with in 30.1 innings this season.

7 Part II:

Even though there are still two games left in the four-game set, with the loss the D-backs guaranteed a seventh series loss/draw. They’ve played in eight total.

9:

The Cubs’ nine-run output in the win was their largest of the season.

39.1

Arizona has scored two runs or less in nine of its first 23 games, good for a 39.1 percentage.

4/28/1998:

The D-backs haven’t been 13 games below .500 in April since their final game of the month — a 12-2 loss to Tom Glavine and the Atlanta Braves — back in the inaugural 1998 season.