Lovullo, Hazen look to get D-backs back on track after coaching moves

Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo and Executive Vice President & General Manager Mike Hazen said Thursday they are hopeful the organization gets back on track after parting ways with hitting coach Darnell Coles and assistant hitting coach Eric Hinske.

“For the last month plus we’ve had the most losses in baseball, and I just don’t believe that should be the case,” Hazen told reporters via Zoom. “And a big portion of that is our offensive performance over the last 30 to 40 days, even with all of our players coming back. And without seeing that direction shifting, I think is where the concerns lay.”

Hazen went on to add that the decision to part ways with Coles and Hinske was not a work ethic concern.

“These guys busted their butts to try to help. We just weren’t making a lot of improvement as a team.”

In the month of May, the Diamondbacks had a record 5-24 and went on a 13-game losing streak in the middle of the month.

“This doesn’t just lay down on the coaches, this lays down on me,” Hazen said. “It lays down on us. We’re not blind to that. It lays down on the performance of our players, executing in situations that we need to execute. Focusing in a way that we need them to focus to ride through games.”

Lovullo added that the team needs to “ride this out and start playing better baseball and see where things take us.”

Arizona is currently on a seven-game losing streak to open the month of June, but Lovullo told reporters that he is reinforcing his philosophies to the team on a daily basis.

“A relentlessness during each at-bat that’s going to allow us to have the most success possible,” Lovullo said. “It’s going to understand what each at-bat is asking for on an at-bat by at-bat and inning by inning basis. It’s understanding that when we’re in a two run game that we’re never out of that game.

“I think overall, it’s a relentlessness and a mindset that we’re going to scratch and claw and fight for everything on a nightly basis.”

Lovullo also said that he wants to continue to pound the ball inside and put up as many runs on the board as possible.

“I want to slug the baseball. I want to put up crooked numbers. I think Major League Baseball has shown that that’s a very successful way to score runs in bunches and help you win baseball games. And to me it’s about the crooked numbers.

“So no, we’re not going to come off of that. That’s our overall hitting philosophy. But I think our offensive identity is that of some certain relentlessness and understanding what each man is asking for.”

Despite the team’s current woes and record, Hazen still believes that Lovullo will turn things around for the organization and get them back on the right path.

“I still feel like Torey (Lovullo) is the right person to lead these guys and right this ship and get us back to where we need to go.”

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