The Monday Takeaway
All Gerardo Parra’s pinch-hit home run in the seventh inning of last night’s game did was push the Diamondbacks’ lead from 4-1 to 5-1. But in the mind of manager Kirk Gibson, it might prove more significant than a meaningless insurance run in a relatively comfortable victory over the Pirates.
The homer was the first extra-base hit in 19 at-bats for Parra, who was relegated to a timeshare when general manager Kevin Towers inked Jason Kubel to a two-year, $15 million deal this past winter. That move was widely considered a surprise, mostly because Parra—a 24-year-old coming off a 3.5 WARP seasons—did plenty to endear himself to the organization and little to warrant a demotion.
Even if Towers was bent on adding outfield depth during the offseason, Kubel was a curious choice. Both he and Parra are left-handed hitters, which limits Gibson’s ability to use them in a platoon. Parra—who compiled 14.9 fielding runs above average in 2011—is a vastly superior defend...
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April 18, 2012
