Diamondbacks move past schedule gauntlet, need to rediscover identity

The Arizona Diamondbacks have reached the natural break point in the schedule when looking at it before the season started.

Entering the campaign, seven of their first 11 opponents made the postseason last year with no plans of slowing down. It was a stretch capped by a grueling eight-game trip in Mexico City, Milwaukee and Chicago against three teams with a combined 61-42 record.

Arizona scuffled at the end of this run, losing four straight games, nine out of 12 and falling below .500 for the first time in nearly a month (5-6 on April 7).

The starting pitching has taken a significant step backward from a solid first three weeks of the year, while the top of the lineup underwhelmed during the trip.

The club’s opposing winning percentage thus far is .515, while its opponents for the rest of May have a combined .435 winning percentage.

Getting back to Chase Field, the Diamondbacks have an opportunity to get back on track, but the toughest test comes at the start.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are the hottest team on their remaining May slate, and they meet the D-backs at Chase Field this week.

The Pirates are coming off a series sweep against Cincinnati and will have defending Cy Young winner Paul Skenes on the mound Wednesday evening. The D-backs will then host the New York Mets before taking on the Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants, Rockies, Giants and Seattle Mariners, none of whom are at .500.

On the surface, a 16-17 record to start the year could be described as treading water, but the -31 run differential is the third worst in the National League, a result of the lopsided losses that have piled up. And the D-backs two weeks ago were on much better footing.

The issue stems from the Diamondbacks’ 10.10 starting pitcher ERA over the past 12 games.

With 5.3 walks and two home runs allowed per nine innings, both of which lead the NL in this period, it is not hard to see why. The starting rotation awarded as many walks as strikeouts over the past eight games, which is untenable, especially for a team that preaches strike throwing.

The Diamondbacks have pitchers of higher caliber than that, including Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen, who each allowed six runs in Chicago.

Kelly has gone through three rough starts out of four since returning from a spring training back issue. Gallen and Michael Soroka have been mostly effective this year before recent duds, while Ryne Nelson bounced back at Wrigley Field.

Along with Eduardo Rodriguez, these five starters should not be the least effective rotation in the big leagues, and this stretch becomes a footnote if the unit can straighten this out quickly — the peripherals are ugly, largely due to the walks. If not, starting pitching struggles put a lot of pressure on the rest of the team.

The last quality start from this staff came on April 17 from Soroka, as Arizona is last in the majors with five quality starts this year. To compare, the Los Angeles Dodgers lead the league with 22.

#Dbacks Starting Pitching–

Sunday (04/26) through Sunday (05/03):

7 starts, 0-5, 9.47 ERA, 2.17 WHIP
31.1 IP, 47 H, 33 R, 33 ER, 21 BB, 23 K, 6 HR

Good news is, things can only get better (I think, I hope).

— Arizona Diamondbacks | Stats & Info (@DbacksStatsInfo) May 4, 2026

The offense, meanwhile, scored one first-inning run during the past 12 games, contributing to this team falling behind so often recently – Arizona has trailed in the opening three innings in each of its last seven games.

Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll have hit .213 and .214 in the last 12 games, respectively.

Ildemaro Vargas and Jose Fernandez have been hugely important to the offense and great stories this year, with Vargas winning the NL Player of the Month. But it will be hard for the offense to produce consistently unless Marte, Carroll and Geraldo Perdomo lead the way.

Carroll has been in a rut in terms of strikeouts (15 in last 11 games), although he continues to work his walks. Marte has the highest exit velocity on the team over the past 12 games and has yet to see the results pay off, but his bases-loaded at-bat on Sunday at Wrigley Field was a low moment.

The good news for the offense is that some of its problems can be solved by really good hitters finding answers, and Marte and Carroll are good bets to do so.

The D-backs played complimentary baseball to get out to a 13-8 record, and May is an opportune time to find that identity again.

Diamondbacks-Pirates probables

Tuesday: RHP Bubba Chandler (1–3, 4.97 ERA) vs. LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (2–0, 3.03 ERA)

Wednesday: RHP Paul Skenes (4–2, 3.18 ERA) vs. RHP Michael Soroka (4–1, 4.70 ERA)

Thursday: RHP Mitch Keller (3–1, 2.85 ERA) vs. RHP Zac Gallen (1–2, 4.45 ERA)

Pirates player to watch: SS Konnor Griffin

The game’s top-ranked prospect made his debut last month, and over his last six games, Griffin is 10-for-23 with four extra-base hits.

Outfielder Oneil Cruz has hit nine home runs with 11 stolen bases already.

What happens at first base for the Diamondbacks?

Diamondbacks first baseman Carlos Santana played in two games for Triple-A Reno over the weekend on a rehab assignment.

Santana has been out since early April with an adductor strain, and with Pavin Smith also on the IL (elbow surgery), the D-backs have relied on Vargas and Fernandez handling first base duties. And they have done so successfully.

Santana started the year 2-for-24, while Fernandez and Vargas are first and third in OPS on the team (minimum 25 plate appearances).

If Santana returns for this homestand, the question becomes how they divide the playing time.

Tuesday’s game starts at 6:40 p.m. on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app. 

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