Manager Torey Lovullo encapsulated it perfectly: the Arizona Diamondbacks endured “a bad week at work,” marked by a string of blowout losses compounded by offensive inconsistency and significant blows to their starting rotation and bullpen.
Following their 11-4 victory over the Padres on Sunday, which halted a three-game losing streak where they were outscored 28-2, the Diamondbacks can now point to the fact that 40% of their runs this season came in just five games.
Of course, this statistic is hardly cause for celebration, given their current standing tied for 4th place in the NL West with a record of 15-20, despite maintaining a positive overall run differential of +7.
In the latest MLB Power Rankings, the D-backs plummeted to 21st, a considerable drop from their initial position within the top-10 at the start of the season.
Interestingly, the Diamondbacks find themselves trailing the Oakland A’s by just one spot in the rankings. The A’s have surged with an impressive 8-2 record in their last 10 games, highlighted by a commanding 20-5 victory over the Marlins on Saturday.
Regarding the Diamondbacks’ ranking, Will Leitch at MLB.com observed, “Throughout all their early-season struggles, the Diamondbacks have been able to point to hopeful underlying numbers: Even at well under .500, they’ve had a positive run differential. (Particularly ironic considering they made the World Series last year with a negative one.) They can’t hang onto that any longer, though: Their 13-1 loss to the Padres on Saturday erased that whole margin, putting them at +/- zero for the season. (Though that changed again on Sunday when they hung 11 runs on the Padres. More hope!)”
Elsewhere, the Dodgers reclaimed the top spot, closing out the week with a four-game winning streak. Los Angeles swept the Braves over the weekend, only trailing for two innings throughout the entire series.
Following the Dodgers are the Orioles, then the Phillies, the Braves, and finally the Yankees, rounding out the top-5.
Looking ahead, the Diamondbacks embark on a six-game road trip, starting in Cincinnati against the Reds on Monday before heading to Baltimore to face the Orioles, with the series kicking off on Friday.
More must-reads: