Jake Lamb’s hot streak: By the numbers
Jul 3, 2016, 5:19 PM
Arizona Diamondbacks' Jake Lamb (22) celebrates his two-run home run against the San Francisco Giants with manager Chip Hale, right, bench coach Glenn Sherlock, second from right, and Brandon Drury, left, during the eighth inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 3, 2016, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
If you hadn’t noticed, Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Jake Lamb is having himself a season, and a darn good one at that.
While star Paul Goldschmidt has gotten hot following a surprisingly sluggish start to 2016, the 25-year-old Lamb has quietly turned into the team leader in home runs, triples, doubles and slugging percentage as the first half of the year nears a close.
Lamb’s been white hot of late, having hit four home runs in the last five games.
On Sunday against San Francisco, Arizona trailed 4-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning when Lamb ripped a line drive over the right-field fence, tying the game before reliever Enrique Burgos allowed a Giants run in the 11th that decided a 5-4 Diamondbacks loss. It was the third baseman’s 19th home run this season.
“Looks good up there,” D-backs manager Chip Hale said. “He’s a guy you want up there for big situations.”
Jake Lamb's clutchness is at 💯.https://t.co/p1SKb7iRZ3
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) July 3, 2016
2
Two, for second. Lamb ranks second in the majors, behind Boston’s David Ortiz, with a slugging percentage of .607.
3
Simply put, he’s got a good eye. Of late, Lamb is showing diversity in what pitches he’s sending out of the park. He’s hit his last four homers off three different pitches: A slider by Giants right-hander Cory Gearrin, two-seamers by Giants righty Johnny Cueto and the Phillies’ Zach Eflin, and curveball thrown by the Phillies’ David Hernandez.
7
Lamb is seventh in MLB with an on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) of .974.
11
Eleven of Lamb’s 2016 bombs either tied the game or put Arizona ahead.
12
With six games to go, Lamb’s 12 home runs at Chase Field is tied for the fourth-most in team history heading into the All-Star break. He trails Jay Bell’s 15 in 1999, Luis Gonzalez’s 13 in 2001 and Mark Reynold’s 13 in 2010. Steve Finley (twice), Reggie Sanders, Troy Glaus, Reynolds and Jason Kubel also have hit 12 home runs at home in the first half of the year.
37
Lamb’s 37 projected home runs would be the most by a D-back since Reynolds hit 44 in 2009. Glaus’ 37 homers in 2005 ties it and Gonzalez’s 57 in 2001 beats it.’
112
The projected 112 RBI for Lamb by season’s end would be only the second time a D-back has hit more than 110 in the last 15 years (Goldschmidt hit 125 in 2013 and touched 110 in 2015).
