Arizona’s ‘D’ tops majors in runs saved
No team in baseball has played better defensively than the Diamondbacks through the first four weeks of the season, according to Sports Info Solutions’ defensive runs saved metric.
The Diamondbacks’ defense has saved 14 runs, putting them in a tie atop the majors with the Washington Nationals.
The stat feels like a mild surprise given some of the defensive issue the club ran into early in the season, but manager Torey Lovullo said he believes his team’s steady play in the field has been a big part of its recent hot streak.
“I’ve been very pleased with how we’re picking up the baseball over the past seven to 10 games,” he said. “I think there’s a strong connection to how we’ve been winning games between the pitching and the defense.”
According to DRS, no Diamondbacks defender has had a better year than Asdrubal Cabrera at third base. He leads major league third basemen with five runs saved despite having played only 121 innings — or 62.5% of the Diamondbacks’ total innings — at the position entering Tuesday. But perhaps the thing most responsible for the Diamondbacks’ ranking, according to data provided by Sports Info Solutions, is defensive positioning. The club has saved six runs thanks to shifts, second only to the nine saved by the Tampa Bay Rays.
“We also work hard at defensive positioning,” Lovullo said. “Our guys are in that room right now watching videos, getting information and data as to where we position ourselves. We want to catch the grounds balls, but we want to catch the line drives, too.”
If there is an aspect of the early defensive numbers that is most encouraging it is in how much apparent room for improvement the Diamondbacks have. There have been several games in which defensive mistakes have bitten the Diamondbacks. More granularly, their shortstops have combined to be worth negative-1 run, an area that could improve in time if Nick Ahmed’s play returns to previous levels. “I know that early on in the season we were stumbling badly defensively,” Lovullo said. “Those days are going to happen. … Since then, I’ve been very pleased. We’ve been picking up the baseball at a very high level and playing fast baseball.”
What-if scenario
Left-hander
Madison
Bumgarner
threw 98 pitches in his seven-inning nohitter on Sunday afternoon.
But what would have happened if the game were nine innings and Bumgarner’s pitch count began to climb into the 110s or higher? Would Lovullo have taken the veteran out of the game as he went for his first career no-hitter?
“He would have body-slammed me off the mound, no doubt about it,” Lovullo joked. “‘News at 11: Pitcher beats up manager.’
Lovullo didn’t say how high he would have let Bumgarner’s pitch count go, but he said no pitcher has “carte blanche” when it comes to their pitch count.
“When there’s a no-hitter going on, I’m a baseball fan and loving it and enjoying it, but I’m probably the most nervous guy in the entire stadium,” Lovullo said.
“I know I might have to make a very unpopular decision.”
Injury updates
Lovullo provided updates on several of the players on the club’s injured list. Among them were:
● Center fielder Ketel Marte underwent a follow-up MRI on his strained right hamstring. The image “showed some healing,” Lovullo said, adding that he is “trending in the right direction,” but he cautioned that Marte was not close to a return. “We have some ground to cover” before Marte begins ramping up the intensity of his running, Lovullo said.
● Right-hander Joakim Soria was scheduled to throw in a game at the club’s alternate site, after which he was going to work on covering first base and fielding his position, which Lovullo said is viewed as the biggest hurdle to his return from a calf injury. That said, Lovulo made it sound like Soria could be close to a return.
● First baseman Christian Walker was expected to take batting practice on the field on Tuesday for the first time since suffering an oblique strain two weeks ago.
● Outfielder Tim Locastro (left pinky finger) had stitches removed and was cleared by a doctor to resume baseball activities.
Additionally, Lovullo said righthander Chris Devenski, who has been away from the team for “personal reasons” since April 7, reported to Salt River Fields in recent days and was scheduled to pitch in his first game at the alternate site on Tuesday. “We’re super excited that he’s back playing and feeling good,” Lovullo said.
Short hop
Hitting coach Darnell Coles, who missed the road trip after undergoing surgery for a torn right Achilles tendon, rejoined the team at home on Tuesday.
He was expected to watch the game on a television monitor from the coaches conference room, a team spokesman said.