One-run games going D-backs’ way this season
Jun 11, 2013, 4:09 PM | Updated: 4:42 pm
Given the way the Arizona Diamondbacks are winning games this season, some may be reminded of the 2011 version that won the NL West.
That team rode a surprising Cy Young candidate in Ian Kennedy as well as an MVP contender in Justin Upton all the way to the NL West crown, tallying many close wins on the way there.
The team won 94 games that season, with 28 being of the one-run variety.
This year’s Diamondbacks, who are pacing the division with a 36-28 mark, are on a similar path, only this time the role of Kennedy is being played by Patrick Corbin and Upton’s spot is being filled by Paul Goldschmidt.
But the success in one-run games has stayed.
The Diamondbacks are now 15-8 in 1-run games this season. Their 15 wins is the most in the majors.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 11, 2013
Last season’s D-backs were just 15-27 in one-run games.
Many feel a team’s success in close games is largely due to luck, and the D-backs’ trend over the last few seasons would seem to bear that out. Or, maybe, this year’s team just happens to be more clutch than last year’s.
Either way, the nail biters have proven to be beneficial to the D-backs’ record, even if it’s not helping their (or their fans’) stress levels.
