The Diamondbacks are on a historic run of success over the past two months, having won 36 of their last 49 games. During this run, they’ve gained the respect of star players they’ve defeated along the way, with Bryce Harper and Triston Casas praising Arizona during this run. The most impressive part about that is the team is doing it despite being far from full strength with their starting rotation and starting lineup. Since July 1, Arizona is averaging more than 6.5 runs per game and it’s because of their deep lineup. And the best part is that the big hit always seems to come from a different person in every game.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Very few lineups can grind down pitchers 1-9 like the Diamondbacks can do. Every player in the starting lineup is a tough at-bat for the opposing, regardless of the final result, which drives up pitch counts and increases the chances of a mistake they can capitalize on. A starting pitcher may seem to have a beat on this team, but all it takes is one walk or defensive miscue and they’ll exploit it and put up a crooked number.
“That’s kind of our mindset,” said Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo following Friday’s win over the Red Sox. “We’re going to try to control the counts, drive up pitch counts. The fact we are working counts and waiting for the pitch we want is motivating this group. If you give us an extra out, we’re going to take advantage of it.”
They have so many ways they can break down an opposing pitching staff. They can either beat them with patience, with seven straight games of drawing four or more walks, or they can slug as they have the most home runs over that stretch. The scary part? The starting lineup has missed three of their best hitters the last two weeks, with Christian Walker, Ketel Marte, and Gabriel Moreno all currently on the injured list.
These stats best encapsulate the type of offense tear the team has been on, courtesy of DbacksStatsInfo on X.
#Dbacks Offense (MLB rank) over the last 30 days–
Of note: C. Walker (last game played was 7/29), Moreno (8/5), Marte (8/18).
R: 188 (1st)
H: 277 (1st)
HR: 48 (3rd)
RBI: 178 (1st)
BB: 108 (2nd)
AVG: .291 (1st)
OBP: .369 (1st)
SLG: .515 (1st)
OPS: .884 (1st)
TB: 490 (1st)— Arizona Diamondbacks | Stats & Info (@DbacksStatsInfo) August 26, 2024
That’s the sign of a team that trusts and loves playing together. Even when one player stumbles, the rest of the team is ready to pick them up. That was something that was on full display in their series finale against the Boston Red Sox. Merrill Kelly struggled with the long ball, surrendering home runs to the Red Sox’s best two power bats. However, the team rallied back with six quick runs to make him a winner and helped him finish his start strong.
The other impressive part about this run is simply how Lovullo can plug nine players in his lineup and they play like a cohesive teams. Players who were recently added to the roster such as Adrian Del Castillo, Josh Bell, and Luis Guillorme have fit in seamlessly in the lineup. The Diamondbacks have done a good job of identifying the right skill sets of players they acquire and where they fit, drastically improving the level of play on the roster.
Arizona’s offense is built to apply sustained pressure on opposing pitchers until they crack. They continue to build innings, leading baseball in batting average (.280) and on-base percentage (.357) since July. That’s why they have the most plate appearances per game, averaging more than 40, which adds more stress on a pitching staff. By making those pitchers have to face more hitters, it increases the chances a pitcher or the defense will make a mistake they’ll capitalize on. With the way the Diamondbacks have been hitting, that often all they need to win a game.
The Red Sox found that out the hard way. Going into the middle innings, they were either ahead or within spitting distance of the Diamondbacks in each of their three games over the weekend. However, they undid themselves with either walks or making an error on the field that opened up the inning. In the fourth through sixth innings in the series, the Diamondbacks plated 11 runs against Bryan Bello, Kutter Crawford, and Tanner Houck.
It’s pretty clear that the lineup will have to carry the team through the final five weeks of the season and into the postseason. They will get healthier and stronger, as key players come back from the injured list. The question that remains is if the pitching will be good enough to carry them on a day the offense isn’t able to break down opposing pitches staffs on a nightly basis.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
