Foes running wild on the base paths
Ever since Kirk Gibson’s days as manager, the Diamondbacks have been one of the better teams in baseball at controlling the opponents’ running game. Through the first eight games of this season, however, other teams have been running all over them, an issue manager Torey Lovullo said is being addressed internally.
“We’ve had some early games where we were not doing our job and things sped up on us,” Lovullo said. “Sped up on us to the point where we finally got our hands on one thing and the opposition took advantage of something else.”
Entering Saturday, the Diamondbacks had allowed 14 steals in 15 attempts. No other team in baseball had allowed more than eight.
Since 2011, Gibson’s first full year as manager, the Diamondbacks have allowed the second-fewest steals in baseball, trailing only the St. Louis Cardinals and catcher Yadier Molina. Gibson was so obsessive about the running game that when he met newly drafted pitchers he would ask them not about their
stuff but their moves to first.
This year, teams haven’t just been stealing bases in the traditional manner – that is, beating the catcher’s throw to second – they have been taking advantage of situations and mistakes.
There have been multiple instances when a Diamondbacks pitcher has caught a runner leaving early only to watch him beat the ball to second base following the initial throw to first. There also have been multiple times when, with runners on the corners, they have allowed a steal of second without a throw.
“That’s on me,” Lovullo said. “That’s my decision. It’s a very conservative route. The pace in which we’ve been playing most of our games, I don’t want to give up another run on the chance of a double steal. It’s up to me to mix and match that. I don’t want to become predictable.”
Young arrives
The Diamondbacks promoted infielder/outfielder Andy Young on Saturday, giving them a potentially potent right-handed bat off the bench. With Kevin Cron being sent down earlier in the week, Young gives them another option late in games against left-handed pitching.
“He can smash lefties and righties,” Lovullo said. “But, yes, if you’re going to target something that immediately we can reference, it’s his ability to come in off the bench and be a right-handed hitting slammer.”
Last season, Young, whom the Diamondbacks acquired as part of the Paul Goldschmidt trade, hit .260/.363/.453 in 65 games with Double-A Jackson before being promoted to Triple-A Reno, where he hit .280/.373/.611 in the hitterfriendly Pacific Coast League.
Young said his parents were so excited about the news that they flew to Phoenix even though they won’t be allowed inside the stadium.
“It’s special for them and it’s special for me,” Young said. “It’s a little going to be a little different, but they’re still going to be down here and hopefully I can see them a little bit sometime this weekend.”
Young has been primarily an infielder but began playing the outfield more extensively this year.
The Diamondbacks optioned infielder Josh Rojas to clear room for Young.
Short hop
Shortstop Nick Ahmed and left fielder David Peralta were presented with their 2019 Gold Glove awards. It was Ahmed’s second in as many years and Peralta’s first.