D-Backs’ 3 catchers will share workload
When Zack Greinke takes the mound for the third time this season – and he’ll do it Friday night at Dodger Stadium against former teammate Clayton Kershaw in a battle of No. 1 aces – keep your eyes on which catcher will be his batter mate.
In each of Greinke’s first two starts, he’s been caught by Jeff Mathis.
Manager Torey Lovullo, however, said he isn’t a big proponent of pitchers having “personal” catchers.
“I really don’t want to have a pitchercatcher marriage like that,” he said. “I know it’s important for continuity, but we’re going to ask all of our catchers to catch every single starter. Zack threw the ball very, very well (on Saturday) and I know Jeff and he were very comfortable, but I want to make sure that we mix guys up.
“It’ll be based on different type of matchups and offensively as well. We like where everybody’s at. Everybody’s dialed in to our program behind the plate.”
The Diamondbacks have three catchers on their 25-man active roster, including Chris Iannetta and Chris Herrmann, who made his first start behind the plate on Sunday.
Lovullo was asked what would happen if Greinke, who is in the second year of a six-year, $206.5 million contract, asks to be paired regularly with Mathis. Could that create a difficult situation?
“It could be, but I’ve had discussions and will continue to have discussions about that topic with Zack,” Lovullo said. “And I’ve had them already and he knows. We’re already on ground level with that.”
As for facing Kershaw, whom he followed in the Dodgers rotation for three years, Greinke said he wants to face his good friend “just to see how nasty he is.”
Hazel-raker
With six hits and two walks, backup outfielder Jeremy Hazelbaker reached base safely in each of his first eight plate appearances, a franchise record to start the season. He also is the first major leaguer to do so since the Orioles’ Ramon Hernandez in 2006.
His streak ended on Sunday when he struck out in the seventh inning following a double switch. The last major leaguer to open a season by reaching base safely in his first nine-plus plate appearances was Carlos Delgado, who reached in 10 straight to start 2002.
“As I’ve said before, I’ve known Jeremy now for several years,” Lovullo said. “He came up as a young slugger, a very athletic with the Boston Red Sox, and now I’m reunited with him here six years later and I can see he has worked on some hitting concepts. He’s figured out how to be successful inside any given at-bat. Credit to him for figuring that out and working hard to make that happen.
“But I know what Jeremy is built on. He’s built on blood and guts, focus, concentration and that’s a real good remedy for someone coming off the bench.”
By the numbers
An interesting element perhaps overlooked during the Diamondbacks’ notoriously hot start offensively is how well their hitters are performing each time they’ve seen an opposing pitcher in a game this season. Their first six games have been rather telling.
The first time they see a pitcher through the order, they are hitting .280 with no home runs, a .349 on-base percentage and a .369 slugging percentage. But the second and third times through, those numbers shoot up dramatically.
The second time through, they are hitting .327 with three homers, a .365 on-base percentage and a .612 slugging percentage. The third time through, they are hitting .485 with four homers, a .541 on-base percentage and a 1.030 slugging percentage.