The Diamondbacks’ struggling pitching staff: By the Numbers
Aug 2, 2016, 11:02 AM | Updated: 11:22 am
Arizona Diamondbacks' Archie Bradley walks back ontp the mound with a new baseball after giving up a home run to Los Angeles Dodgers' Joc Pederson during the sixth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 14, 2016, in Phoenix. The Dodgers won 7-4. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The Arizona Diamondbacks have had a down year in 2016, thanks in part to a pitching staff that’s done only one thing consistently: give up runs.
In fact, the Diamondbacks staff is largely to blame for the team’s spiral to last place and a 43-63 record, surprising those who championed the team’s efforts to improve both the bullpen and the starting rotation this offseason. Instead of improvement, the D-backs have fallen flat.
Take, for example, Monday night’s series-opening loss to the Washington Nationals: Arizona sent six pitchers to the mound, two of whom gave up at least five runs, and the starter, Archie Bradley, didn’t make it through the fourth inning.
Dbacks lose 14-1, their worst loss of the year. They are 7-23 in their past 30 games, 43-63 overall and on pace to lose 96 games.
— Nick Piecoro (@nickpiecoro) August 2, 2016
Pitching has been the bane of the Diamondbacks’ existence of late, and here is that pitching staff, by the numbers.
5.00
The D-backs pitching staff as a whole – both starters and relievers – have a 5.00 ERA this season, good for 29th out of 30 teams in the major leagues. If the season ended today, that ERA would be the worst by any D-backs team in franchise history, including the 2004 team that lost 111 games (4.98 ERA).
27
Arizona has used 27 different pitchers this year, including nine different starters.
4.97
When the Arizona Diamondbacks have the lead, they have a 4.97 ERA. In all of baseball, only the Minnesota Twins (5.17) have a worse mark when they’re ahead.
1.51
The D-backs bullpen has a 1.51 WHIP this year, putting them in last place in that category.
29
The Diamondbacks are ranked 29th of 30 teams in ERA overall (5.00), when they have the lead (4.97), when there are runners in scoring position (13.90), when it’s the seventh inning or later (5.13) and when team is at home (5.53). They’re also ranked 29th in bullpen opposing average (.271) and bullpen ERA (4.98).
30
The team’s ERA when it’s behind in the count is 7.52, good for dead last in MLB.
5
Of the D-backs’ top five players in ERA this year, only one is on the 25-man roster: Jake Barrett (2.79), who leads the D-backs in ERA. Brad Ziegler (2.82) and Tyler Clippard (4.30) were traded, while Zack Greinke (3.62) and Rubby De La Rosa (4.15) are on the disabled list.
6
There have been six pitchers who have made at least five appearances from the bullpen since the All-Star break. Of those six, four have an ERA above 8.00 in that stretch.
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