![[Valid Atom 1.0]](images/valid-atom.png "Valid Atom 1.0")
This is a valid Atom 1.0 feed.
This feed is valid, but interoperability with the widest range of feed readers could be improved by implementing the following recommendations.
<feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xml:lang="en">
line 60, column 0: (4 occurrences) [help]
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/ ...
line 132, column 0: (12 occurrences) [help]
<div id="2TKFC4"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; posit ...
line 132, column 0: (4 occurrences) [help]
<div id="2TKFC4"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; posit ...
line 279, column 0: (3 occurrences) [help]
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center">
line 282, column 0: (3 occurrences) [help]
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="u ...
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xml:lang="en"> <title>AZ Snake Pit - All Posts</title> <subtitle>An unofficial Arizona Diamondbacks community and blog</subtitle> <icon>https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47033/azsnakepit_f.png</icon> <updated>2025-05-23T01:36:29-04:00</updated> <id>http://www.azsnakepit.com/rss/current/</id> <link type="text/html" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/" rel="alternate"/> <entry> <published>2025-05-23T01:36:29-04:00</published> <updated>2025-05-23T01:36:29-04:00</updated> <title>Thursday Tidbits: Burnes’ Heating Up</title> <content type="html"> <figure> <img alt="Arizona Diamondbacks v. Los Angeles Dodgers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ICM_BCWkxSHwZglf8p_eP2yLSqg=/0x1:3654x2437/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74097759/2215730811.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Photo by Nicole Vasquez/MLB Photos via Getty Images</figcaption> </figure> <p>What’s been working for Corbin Burnes and can he keep it up?</p> <h2 id="hf5a1u">Introduction</h2><p id="wn7FiT">By far one of the most surprising in the Diamondbacks’ offseason was the signing of Corbin Burnes. It took much of the industry by surprise as well as nearly every outlet I saw linked Burnes with one of the big market teams like the Mets or Yankees or staying with the Orioles. Seemingly everyone missed the fact that Burnes’ family was based in Arizona and that he might take less money for more time with his wife and children. Unsurprisingly, D-Backs fans were over the moon about the signing - especially since it kept him away from intraleague rivals like the Dodgers or Padres. I myself immediately started thinking about possible article topics like where the Burnes-Gallen combination fit into Arizona pitching duo history or how dominant the D-Backs’ rotation was going to be. Instead, I and the rest of the fandom was treated to an uneven introduction to Burnes’ tenure in the desert as his first three starts featured a dip in velocity and strikeouts with an increase in walks and homers - an unfortunate combination. But over the last few weeks, he has truly rounded into form, including yet another excellent outing in Chavez Ravine last <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/2025/5/22/24434943/d-backs-1-dodgers-3-floppy-rubber-match#comments">night</a> that included Burnes extending his scoreless streak to 21 innings, even if he did take the hard luck loss. So what’s behind the change and what can he do to make sure it continues for the rest of the season?</p><p id="lPIENb">First, it might be worthwhile to take a step back and review what “kind” of pitcher Burnes has been in his career. Outside of his Cy Young season back in 2021, he’s never been a big strikeout pitcher, preferring to generate outs with grounders than flyouts. I’ve always been partial to that pitcher profile as it tends to age better than flyball pitchers or ones that depend on power to strikeout batters. For Burnes though, the biggest developmental choice was refining and then increasing the usage of his cut fastball or cutter from 2019-2021. It’s a nasty pitch that sets up his curveball and changeup, especially when he’s able to deliver it with pace, which hasn’t always been the case this season. Last year, his cutter was one of the most valuable <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/pitch-arsenal-stats?type=pitcher&amp;pitchType=&amp;year=2024&amp;team=&amp;min=1&amp;minPitches=q&amp;sort=4&amp;sortDir=desc">pitches</a> in the entire major leagues. If he can return to that form, he truly will become the force that Mike Hazen expected when he inked him this past offseason.</p><h2 id="INu9dg">Positives</h2><p id="3WNLvT">Predictably given the level of usage Burnes has for his cutter, when it’s not landing, he’s likely to struggle. In his first three starts, his cutter was completely ineffective. He had more walks than strikeouts with it, he gave up a couple homers on it, and allowed eight total hits with the pitch. Even worse, the velocity on the cutter was slightly down. That combined ineffectiveness meant that any of his secondary pitches were even more vulnerable. But since that third start, it’s been much more effective, including a .196 BAA compared to .286 in the first three starts. That increased effectiveness opens up his entire pitching arsenal to find ways to strike batters out - especially his curveball. As evidenced by the absolute dominance he displayed last night against the Dodgers, when Burnes has a good feel for his curveball, it can be an absolute weapon against batters. Of his eight strikeouts last night, seven of them came on the curveball. The other one? It came on his cutter. </p><h2 id="dM0lFu">Negatives</h2><p id="qfOp9T">It’s not all roses unfortunately. Even with the improved performance over the past six starts, he is struggling to keep batters off the basepaths - especially via walks. Burnes has nearly doubled his walks per nine from last year (2.2 versus 3.9) and has still been walking far too many batters in this stretch of excellence with a 3.38 BB/9 over the last six starts. That struggle in turn means that Burnes is flirting with scoring opportunities much more often than he has in the past. I suspect that’s one of the reasons some of the expected stats for this season are so much higher than his actual stats - including a 4.05 FIP compared to his ERA of 2.73 on the season. The way that FIP is calculated automatically means that he will be further punished for walking batters and failing to strike them out more than he is in finding ways to produce outs overall.</p><p id="ojehYd">So far, it’s been an uneven start to his first year with the Serpientes. I obviously appreciate the uptick in performance, but there are warning signs on plenty of underlying stats that make it difficult to believe that this level is truly sustainable for the entire season. He has to stop walking so many batters. I know that’s incredibly obvious advice, but unless he does, it will automatically shorten his outings and give the opposing team that many more opportunities to score. </p> </content> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/2025/5/23/24435616/thursday-tidbits-burnes-heating-up"/> <id>https://www.azsnakepit.com/2025/5/23/24435616/thursday-tidbits-burnes-heating-up</id> <author> <name>mcbenseigs</name> </author> </entry> <entry> <published>2025-05-22T16:00:00-04:00</published> <updated>2025-05-22T16:00:00-04:00</updated> <title>Your annual “Mike Hazen has a Bullpen Problem” post</title> <content type="html"> <figure> <img alt="Cleveland Guardians v Arizona Diamondbacks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/s6O-KAhS3oite9yU0YzcNgoKMy4=/0x0:7740x5160/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74097230/2206888740.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images</figcaption> </figure> <p>And we thought this year might be different...</p> <p id="WjWw7G">Since the Diamondbacks lost A.J. Puk on April 17, it feels like every week this year has had a bullpen meltdown of one kind or another. Up until that point, things had actually been going very well for the Arizona relief corps. Over the first nineteen games, they had an ERA of 3.48 (an improvement of almost a whole run on 2024’s figure of 4.41), a 4-0 record, and most impressively of all, were a perfect 17-for-17 in save opportunities, with six saves and eleven holds. We didn’t know it at the time, but that would be Puk’s last stand, and was as good as it would get for the Arizona bullpen. Three weeks into the season, the baseball gods were about to go all <em>Final Destination</em> on our relievers.</p><p id="GRVdLS">Things went from sixty to zero pretty damn fast. It didn’t take long for things to fall apart. The day after Puk saved the series finale in Miami, the bullpen allowed <strong>eleven earned runs in two innings </strong>against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. To be fair, it was the largely B-arms of Ryne Nelson, Bryce Jarvis and Joe Mantiply who were responsible, but even by the standard of mop-up relievers, this was something special. The following day, Puk went on the Injured List and... Well, things fell apart. Over the thirty subsequent games, going into yesterday’s finale at Dodger Stadium, the Arizona bullpen had a record of 3-8 with a 6.45 ERA, and ten blown saves.</p><p id="Bx9GY9">Sometimes, games have been lost with a bang - the Cubs one, the Dodgers scoring six in the ninth. or the lowly Rockies battering Jalen Beeks, Ryan Thomson and Kendall Graveman around for eight earned runs in their 2.1 innings of work. Sometimes, it’s been more of a whimper, like Tuesday night, where Shelby Miller pitched for the third night in a row, allowed one hit and still took the L [the two walks and hit batter proved to be pivotal]. But the end result has been the same. A bullpen where, on any given night, Torey Lovullo has to decide between over-taxing the more reliable arms, or throwing onto the mound pitchers whose performance is unreliable. </p><p id="Nu3QKE">There’s no doubt that the loss of Puk, followed at the end of the month by Justin Martinez, has been a factor. The pair were intended to be co-closers, and as noted, it worked very nicely at the beginning of the year But after Puk went down, Martinez seemed to fall apart in sympathy. He posted a K:BB of 1:5 across four outings, showing diminished velocity and no control, before following Puk onto the IL. There wasn’t immediately a Plan C as in Closer: between April 30th and May 10th, the D-backs got five saves - from five different pitchers. They finally settled on Shelby Miller. He has a 5.63 ERA this month, in line with his FIP (5.59), but still feels like the best of the available options. </p><p id="il7TNI">Here’s where the D-backs’ bullpen stands and ranks across various metrics, as we enjoy the off-day before going to the pitching hell-hole which is Coors Field. Last year’s figures and ranks are in brackets. </p><ul><li id="RRdHjR">ERA: 5.28, 27th (4.41, 25th)</li><li id="79EA9u">FIP: 4.45, 24th (4.19, 25th)</li><li id="GzxZJT">xFIP: 4.05, 16th (4.13, 21st)</li><li id="STYWR6">fWAR: -0.8, 29th (2.3, 22nd)</li></ul><p id="rJLWH8">This continues a trend we’ve noted before. The last time the Diamondbacks finished in the top half of baseball for ANY of those categories was 2019. As the graph below shows, approaching the one-third mark this season, it’s not looking good for 2025. </p><figure class="e-image"> <img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4fSBUXsK07edZwafl51rnaes1V8=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26003927/ERA__FIP__xFIP_and_fWAR__2017_2025.png"> </figure><p id="6PyX7t">It was notable this winter that they did not spend much money on relief help. Nobody in the bullpen is getting paid even $3 million this year, with Ryan Thompson’s $2,965,000 the highest amount for an Arizona reliever. Additions came in the form of very low-cost deals: Jalen Beeks, Kendall Graveman, Shelby Miller and Scott McGough are costing only about $4.25 million between them (though in some cases, incentives may increase the final cost). That’s half the current bullpen. Add Thompson and Kevin Ginkel, plus the league-minimum contracts of Juan Morillo and Christian Montes de Oca, and right now, the entire D-backs relief corps is costing less than Josh Naylor. </p><p id="NXZCCr">Should they have spent more? A couple of weeks ago, Jack <a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/arizona-diamondbacks-analysis/an-honest-assessment-diamondbacks-2025-bullpen-construction">dove into the bullpen</a> and noted, “There were a number of high-leverage relievers available on the free agent market, but it became apparent the D-backs were not able to compete for any of these pitchers.” He contrasted the D-backs approach to that of the Dodgers, who gave eight-figure contracts to Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates and Blake Treinen. That trio alone are getting paid more than $34 million this year, <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/cap/_/year/2025">according to Spotrac</a>. However, Yates (hamstring) and Treinen (forearm) are both on the injured list, and while Scott has been good, he blew the save on Tuesday. Combined, they have been worth just 0.4 bWAR so far, less than Beeks. </p><p id="m85B2c">It’s also reasonable to point out that the D-backs’ experiences where the results from paying for relief help have not been encouraging. Here’s a list of some pitchers in that category over the past few seasons, who all earned more than almost anyone in this year’s bullpen, and failed to deliver much:</p><ul><li id="tH7wsN">2024, Paul Sewald - $7.375m, 0.2 bWAR, 98 ERA+</li><li id="KvguSY">2023-24, Scott McGough - $5.5m, -1.0 bWAR, 78 ERA+</li><li id="z8o1kA">2023, Andrew Chafin - $6.25m, 0.1 bWAR, 106 ERA+</li><li id="E9AEeO">2022-23, Mark Melancon - $12m, -0.8 bWAR, 87 ERA+</li><li id="CrNjzC">2022, Ian Kennedy - $4.75m, -1.1 bWAR, 75 ERA+</li><li id="k0gJ7V">2021, Joakim Soria - $3.5m, 0.3 bWAR, 99 ERA+</li></ul><p id="USxjqD">Admittedly, this may not be just a Hazen problem. Long-term fans - and you probably need to be middle-aged - will remember Matt Mantei. He was signed to a $22 million, four-year contract in January 2001, the equivalent of well over $50 million nowadays. It became <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/2022/12/5/23484772/diamondbacks-worst-contracts-12-matt-mantei">one of Arizona’s worst ever</a>. </p><figure class="e-image"> <img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BUUxFATyynTJHHKhBPIkfQs2AIg=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26003231/GrGsOEpXkAA706R.jpg"> </figure><p id="bAfzPF">On the other hand, there’s an increasing case to be made that Mike Hazen has a <em>pitching</em> problem. I refer you to the above meme. Throw in Madison Bumgarner, and you understand nervousness about Corbin Burnes’ early struggles. And if free-agency has been shaky, the entire amateur pitcher draft, sign and development system has been almost completely useless. The best pitcher for Arizona drafted under Hazen is Ryne Nelson, who is now in his fourth season, been worth a total of about three wins and has a career ERA+ of 93. The only pitcher in <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mlb.com%2Fmilb%2Fprospects%2Fdbacks&amp;referrer=sbnation.com&amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.azsnakepit.com%2F2025%2F5%2F22%2F24434752%2Fyour-annual-mike-hazen-has-a-bullpen-problem-post" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">our top ten prospects</a>, Yilber Diaz, seems to have fallen apart this year, and has more walks than innings pitched. You do <em>not</em> want to look at <a href="https://www.milb.com/gameday/aces-vs-space-cowboys/2025/05/17/779641/final/box">his last box-score</a>, trust me. </p><p id="bmYHSQ">There have been some successes - Merrill Kelly is perhaps the most obvious. But the bottom line is this: over the entirety of the Hazen era from 2017-2025, the Diamondbacks rank <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?pos=all&amp;stats=pit&amp;lg=all&amp;qual=0&amp;type=8&amp;month=0&amp;ind=0&amp;team=0%2Cts&amp;rost=0&amp;age=0&amp;filter=&amp;players=0&amp;startdate=&amp;enddate=&amp;season1=2017&amp;season=2025">26th by fWAR for pitching</a>, ahead only of Baltimore, Oakland, Colorado and Miami. That’s not general company with which any successful franchise would want to be classed. It all means that even when the team scores <strong>forty more runs than anyone else</strong> in the majors, as last year, they <em>still</em> don’t make the post-season, because the pitching was simply so bad. Can this be fixed without a complete overhaul of approach and personnel? Every year which passes with further issues, seems to indicate that may simply not be possible. </p> </content> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/2025/5/22/24434752/your-annual-mike-hazen-has-a-bullpen-problem-post"/> <id>https://www.azsnakepit.com/2025/5/22/24434752/your-annual-mike-hazen-has-a-bullpen-problem-post</id> <author> <name>Jim McLennan</name> </author> </entry> <entry> <published>2025-05-22T11:50:20-04:00</published> <updated>2025-05-22T11:50:20-04:00</updated> <title>Snake Bytes 5/22</title> <content type="html"> <figure> <img alt="MLB: Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles Dodgers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5StiW4pVJvB4PbAnlqzcUp4W_iI=/0x0:7960x5307/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74096662/usa_today_26250588.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption> </figure> <p id="SCNJAW">Kind of a rushed edition today. I almost forgot it was even Thursday to be honest. </p><h2 id="E3Ozls"><br><strong>Team News </strong></h2><p id="FFzHyk"><br><strong>Diamondbacks waste sharp Corbin Burnes start, lose winnable series to Dodgers</strong></p><p id="D2oJ86"><a href="https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/burnes-dodgers-2/3584738/">https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/burnes-dodgers-2/3584738/</a><br><br><strong>Big swing costs Corbin Burnes, Diamondbacks in tough loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers</strong></p><p id="zeFnlL"><a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.azcentral.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fmlb%2Fdiamondbacks%2F2025%2F05%2F21%2Fdiamondbacks-dodgers-score-pitching-matchup-news%2F83541952007%2F&amp;referrer=sbnation.com&amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.azsnakepit.com%2F2025%2F5%2F22%2F24435253%2Fsnake-bytes-5-22" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2025/05/21/diamondbacks-dodgers-score-pitching-matchup-news/83541952007/</a><br><br><strong>Diamondbacks Live and Die By the Longball in Series Loss to Dodgers</strong></p><p id="lGSAh7"><a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/arizona-diamondbacks-analysis/diamondbacks-live-and-die-by-longball-series-loss-dodgers">https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/arizona-diamondbacks-analysis/diamondbacks-live-and-die-by-longball-series-loss-dodgers</a><br><br><strong>Blaze Alexander’s Blast Leads to Walk-Off Aces Win</strong></p><p id="RoRlC3"><a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/arizona-diamondbacks-prospects/blaze-alexander-blast-leads-to-walkoff-aces-win">https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/arizona-diamondbacks-prospects/blaze-alexander-blast-leads-to-walkoff-aces-win</a><br><br><strong>Drey Jameson placed on injured list with elbow inflammation</strong></p><p id="BaNVVN"><a href="https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/drey-jameson-il/3584616/">https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/drey-jameson-il/3584616/</a><br></p><h2 id="hWpCQc"><strong>Anything goes</strong></h2><p id="vvQh4i"><br><strong>This day in history:</strong><br><a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/may-22">https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/may-22</a><br><br>This day in baseball:</p><p id="FrgH6P"><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/May_22">https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/May_22</a><br></p> </content> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/2025/5/22/24435253/snake-bytes-5-22"/> <id>https://www.azsnakepit.com/2025/5/22/24435253/snake-bytes-5-22</id> <author> <name>Justin27</name> </author> </entry> <entry> <published>2025-05-22T01:42:07-04:00</published> <updated>2025-05-22T01:42:07-04:00</updated> <title>D-Backs 1, Dodgers 3: Floppy Rubber Match</title> <content type="html"> <figure> <img alt="Arizona Diamondbacks v. Los Angeles Dodgers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9U08YNny6my9F4eTeLJ73v7bOJ0=/0x1:3492x2329/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74095778/2215728518.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Photo by Nicole Vasquez/MLB Photos via Getty Images</figcaption> </figure> <p>TL;DR: A punchless offense and one bad Corbin Burnes’ pitch doomed a series win in the rubber game. </p> <p id="Ao6fAV">There are countless examples of teams - including this one - “flushing” a bad loss and coming back the next game with a renewed spirit. That was not quite the case tonight as the offensive woes continued for the D-Backs in a game whose pitching matchup certainly favored them on paper. Through parts of this game, it resembled an old-school pitching matchup with both starters cruising and facing the minimum number of batters in several innings. Combined, the two managed to induce 31 swings and misses as Dustin May’s sweeper and sinker combination kept Arizona’s batters completely off-balance and unsure across his six-inning outing. </p><p id="uih7SL">After last night’s painful late collapse, the D-Backs were desperate to get their offense started early. Unfortunately, it never really got out of the starting gate all night. They collected seven hits and a walk in the game, but failed to string any of them together. There were just two innings that featured more than one hit - the sixth and the seventh - but they had just one extra base hit for the game in Ketel Marte’s majestic solo blast in the fourth. Instead, they failed to get a single hit in their measly three at bats with runners in scoring position and stranded seven runners, including a crucial second run at third with less than two outs. </p><div id="2TKFC4"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/m/ketel-marte-homers-7-on-a-fly-ball-to-right-center-field-vdm8oi" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media *;"></iframe></div></div><p id="hXyq5z">Their best scoring opportunity came in the sixth when consecutive one-out singles by Gabriel Moreno and Josh Naylor put runners on the corners for Eugenio Suarez who had already collected a pair of singles in the game. Sadly, May got him to weakly popup and then induced a routine groundout from Pavin Smith to end the threat. Ironically, the team has been quite strong in situations with a runner at third and less than two outs as they’ve posted a .295/.325/.557 slash line including 21 sacrifice flies, but it wasn’t to be tonight. </p><p id="k1NTpW">At least the D-Backs’ pitching came to play. Corbin Burnes had a rough introduction in his Arizona tenure with an ERA approaching six and a WHIP of two. But after those first two starts, he has been every bit the ace they expected him to be when they inked him over the offseason. In his last six starts, he’s pitched to an ERA of 1.74 and a WHIP of 1.074. Even better, he extended a scoreless streak he started back in New York all the way to 21.2 IP before finally yielding his only blemish on the night: a towering three-run homer to straightaway center field by Teoscar Hernandez.</p><div id="WO8Dwr"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/m/teoscar-hernandez-homers-10-on-a-fly-ball-to-center-field-miguel-rojas-sc" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media *;"></iframe></div></div><p id="2NjxiN">Just eleven days ago, Burnes put together a signature outing with seven scoreless innings against these same Dodgers. Tonight, through the first five-plus innings, he looked even better - keeping LA hitless through the first three-plus innings and not allowing a baserunner into scoring position until that fateful sixth inning. The Dodger hitters appeared completely flummoxed as Burnes collected 17 swings and misses on the outing including nine on a curveball that almost looked untouchable. Even more encouragingly, he managed to walk just one batter, a problem he’s been trying to resolve throughout the season as he deals with a career-high walk rate. </p><p id="0z2brt">On a macro level, there are certainly some positive takeaways including some excellent starting pitching in the series against the Dodgers. Their starters covered 18 innings and gave up just seven runs on ten hits They also limited LA’s top three to a combined 11-for-37 (.297 batting average) with “just” three homers in the series. Given the talent level the three of them bring to the game, I will absolutely count that as a victory. The team now continues their roadtrip with a weekend series out in St. Louis where they hope to break out of the win-loss-win pattern they seem to find themselves in far too often this season. Let’s hope they’re able to flush this entire series and start fresh on Friday. </p><figure class="e-image"> <img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xjtm7Q7ynYKJu5rGxFAu0F1ifKU=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26003454/chart__29_.png"> <figcaption>Courtesy of FanGraphs</figcaption> </figure> </content> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/2025/5/22/24434943/d-backs-1-dodgers-3-floppy-rubber-match"/> <id>https://www.azsnakepit.com/2025/5/22/24434943/d-backs-1-dodgers-3-floppy-rubber-match</id> <author> <name>mcbenseigs</name> </author> </entry> <entry> <published>2025-05-21T21:30:00-04:00</published> <updated>2025-05-21T21:30:00-04:00</updated> <title>Diamondbacks Gameday Thread, #50: 5/21 @ Dodgers </title> <content type="html"> <figure> <img alt="Colorado Rockies v Los Angeles Dodgers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/i3Cvrpp5ip1_nInGBuEPdle4Nzk=/0x0:5694x3796/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74095589/2210502194.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images</figcaption> </figure> <p>Rubber match, and our ace on the mound</p> <div id="QoAXUf"><div class="pane sports_data_widget lineup clearfix"><h3>Today's Lineups</h3><div class="lineup"><table width="100%" cellspacing="0" class="zebra"><thead><tr><th align="left">DIAMONDBACKS</th><th align="left">DODGERS</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td class="td-last td-name">Corbin Carroll - RF</td><td class="td-first td-name">Shohei Ohtani - DH</td></tr><tr><td class="td-last td-name">Ketel Marte - 2B</td><td class="td-first td-name">Mookie Betts - SS</td></tr><tr><td class="td-last td-name">Gabriel Moreno - C</td><td class="td-first td-name">Freddie Freeman - 1B</td></tr><tr><td class="td-last td-name">Josh Naylor - 1B</td><td class="td-first td-name">Teoscar Hernandez - RF</td></tr><tr><td class="td-last td-name">Eugenio Suarez - 3B</td><td class="td-first td-name">Andy Pages - LF</td></tr><tr><td class="td-last td-name">Pavin Smith - DH</td><td class="td-first td-name">Max Muncy - 3B</td></tr><tr><td class="td-last td-name">Geraldo Perdomo - SS</td><td class="td-first td-name">Tommy Edman - CF</td></tr><tr><td class="td-last td-name">Alek Thomas - CF</td><td class="td-first td-name">Dalton Rushing - C</td></tr><tr><td class="td-last td-name">Tim Tawa - LF</td><td class="td-first td-name">Miguel Rojas - 2B</td></tr><tr><td class="td-last td-name"></td><td class="td-first td-name"></td></tr><tr><td class="td-last td-name">Corbin Burnes - RHP</td><td class="td-first td-name">Dustin May - RHP</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div><figure class="e-image"> <img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/kD8KPuo2_k2N7iR9fEDiHzI0vzo=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26003265/capture.jpg"> </figure><hr class="p-entry-hr" id="O7d0ol"><p id="BV8o89">I guess at the highest level, the two games in the series so far have gone as expected. Arizona won the first, with Los Angeles struggling through an opener, but the Dodgers bounced back to take the second, behind their undeniable ace. Admittedly, the manner in which each game unfolded was... certainly worthy of comment, but the end result was a split, and tonight’s game will decide the series. You do have to think the D-backs have the edge, with Corbin Burnes having blanked the Dodgers over seven innings eleven days ago, and followed that up with (the admittedly lighter task) six more shutout innings against the Rockies last Friday. </p><p id="0GDNEh">Since Zac Gallen’s in April 2023, there has only been one other starter for Arizona to toss 6+ scoreless innings in consecutive outings. That was by Brandon Pfaadt around the All-Star break in July last year, when he beat the Braves 1-0, then took a no-decision in a 2-1 loss to the Cubs. For Burnes, he has now done it once in each of the past three seasons, as well as twice in 2021 - indeed, in April that year, he did it three starts in a row as a Brewer. Especially impressive there, was his K:BB ratio of 29:0. Only two other pitchers in recorded baseball history have put together three consecutive starts of six or more scoreless innings, 9+ strikeouts and no walks. [Clayton Kershaw in 2015 and Max Scherzer in 2021]</p><p id="wUSiqW">Over his last two starts, Burnes hasn’t been quite so dominant, but a K:BB of 15:5 across 13 innings is still pretty good. Could do with another seven shutout innings tonight, partly to save the bullpen. Outside of mysterious phantom man Christian Montes de Oca, whom I am beginning to suspect does not exist, our relievers have been taxed. Obviously, no Shelby Miller tonight. Juan Morillo and Kevin Ginkel are probably also redlined, But at least there is an off-day tomorrow, which will give everyone a chance to recharge their batteries, and odds are that Justin Martinez will rejoin the team after that. Hopefully Burnes can repeat his success and give the D-backs another series victory. </p> </content> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/2025/5/21/24434910/diamondbacks-gameday-thread-50-5-21-dodgers"/> <id>https://www.azsnakepit.com/2025/5/21/24434910/diamondbacks-gameday-thread-50-5-21-dodgers</id> <author> <name>Jim McLennan</name> </author> </entry> <entry> <published>2025-05-21T15:30:00-04:00</published> <updated>2025-05-21T15:30:00-04:00</updated> <title>MLB Notes: Could the Kansas City Royals End Up Moving To... Kansas City?</title> <content type="html"> <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MEPjKKBFAx70l4RWXWy4_wZO7jk=/0x53:1249x886/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74095058/Kauffman2017.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Kauffman Stadium in 2017</figcaption> </figure> <p>In today's most confusing edition of stadium drama..</p> <p id="356Bgp"></p><p id="qUDmLd">Since this has been a continuing theme throughout the year so far, I’ve decided that we’ll just have a section dedicated to the stadium drama throughout the league. Today I don't have anything else to talk about so it's just this today.</p><p id="4dRTIF">Getting to that very confusing headline, let me clarify just a little so it actually makes sense: The Kansas City (<em>Missouri</em>) Royals could move and become the Kansas City (<em>Kansas</em>) Royals. Before we get into how that could potentially happen and how that would work, let's go into some basic background information. </p><p id="Oizyf5">Since their very first game in April of 1973, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium, located about 30 minutes from downtown Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri. Next door to the Royals is where the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs play, Arrowhead Stadium, which opened in Autumn of 1972; Together the two stadiums make up the Truman Sports Complex. Kauffman Stadium underwent its most recent renovations in 2009, and both the Royals and Chiefs are currently under a lease that runs through 2030. </p><p id="A71Ecu">A little over a year ago, in April of 2024, Jackson County voters rejected a referendum that would levy a 3/8th cent sales tax that would have funded a new stadium in the Crossroads district of downtown Kansas City. One Kansas City resident and Royals fan that I talked to described the proposal as “making absolutely no f***ing sense” and then went on to describe how it would destroy local businesses in the area, mess up traffic, and a host of other issues that would result from the proposed location of the new stadium.</p><p id="PEuUvg">A few months later, in June of 2024 the Kansas Legislature passed incentive bill to lure Kansas City Chiefs and Royals across state lines. The bill would expand the state’s Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bond program, which is meant to help finance tourism and entertainment districts to help pay for a professional football or baseball stadium of at least $1 billion. A developer building a stadium under the program would be eligible to finance up to 70% of the project cost by issuing bonds and repaying them with the increased sales tax collections from the stadium site. The expansion would have initially allowed up to 75% of project costs but was tweaked before introduction. Debt on a stadium constructed under the expansion wouldn’t have to be repaid for 30 years instead of the normal 20. </p><p id="Ur1xCs">Missouri's house passed a measure earlier this year, but that ended up stalling out in the state senate before the legislative session ended last week. Missouri Governer called for a special session this week, although when that will be has not been announced yet, but I'd imagine it'll be within the next month. Why do I say that? Well, the Kansas Star Bond program expires July 1st, 2025. I can't say for sure if Missouri will get a stadium funding bill passed before that deadline, but if they don't, I'd imagine we'll be seeing the Royals and/or Chiefs move across the border to Kansas.</p> </content> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/2025/5/21/24432929/mlb-notes-could-the-kansas-city-royals-end-up-moving-to-kansas-city"/> <id>https://www.azsnakepit.com/2025/5/21/24432929/mlb-notes-could-the-kansas-city-royals-end-up-moving-to-kansas-city</id> <author> <name>C.Wesley Baier</name> </author> </entry> <entry> <published>2025-05-21T13:41:37-04:00</published> <updated>2025-05-21T13:41:37-04:00</updated> <title>Snake Byes 5/21: Tough Losses Happen</title> <content type="html"> <figure> <img alt="Arizona Diamondbacks v Los Angeles Dodgers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/h5JPJQWgHO3cY43M_NcR3HsHNWU=/0x0:3251x2167/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74094859/2216196835.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images</figcaption> </figure> <p><em>Both teams had a rough go of it on the offensive side of thing until the closing stages of the game. That’s when Shelby Miller coming in for a third consecutive day seems to have hurt the Snakes.</em></p> <h3 id="oEn1Yg">Diamondbacks News</h3><p id="EtvZ4W"><a href="https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/dodgers-walkoff/3584624/">Diamondbacks Heroics Spoiled by Blown Save</a><br>While it is still on Shelby Miller that he did not perform, the circumstances of his entering the game and the way the 10th inning developed provide enough blame to go around.</p><p id="7XhEnJ"><strong>Some of the heroics</strong></p><div id="Q0k2Ml"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">There goes my hero, watch him as he goes. <a href="https://t.co/fljLag96OW">pic.twitter.com/fljLag96OW</a></p>— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dbacks/status/1925053377446400309?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2025</a></blockquote><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div><p id="0BM6PA"><a href="https://burncitysports.com/2025/05/20/arizona-diamondbacks-closer-pitcher/">Questions Surrounding Diamondbacks Closer Role Need Answers</a><br>Shelby Miller has finally come back to earth and proven himself fallible. Justin Martinez seems to have rediscovered his velocity in Reno, but still brings some arm health concerns. A.J. Puk is still far from returning. Arizona needs to find some stability for the closer role if they are going to be in contention in September.</p><p id="QsN4E7"><a href="https://venomstrikes.com/d-backs-top-prospect-sees-only-9-plate-appearances-in-first-full-week-after-call-up-01jvqxe0f48h">After First Full Week Back Up, Jordan Lawlar Has 9 Plate Appearances</a><br>The way in which Jordan Lawlar has been used since being recalled from Reno does not feel at all like the sort of plan one would have expected to see deployed. Something is hinky in Phoenix.</p><p id="m54NqR"><a href="https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/merrill-kelly-goal/3584596/">Merrill Kelly has 10-Season Goal in Majors, Would Love to Finish with Snakes</a><br>Merrill Kelly adding more fuel to the speculation that he may be the one impending free agent likely to return. At age 37, it will be hard to land a 3-year deal, but Kelly remains hopeful to finding a way to get to 10 years regardless.</p><p id="vYtas5"><strong>Jomboy’s Lovullo Breakdown</strong></p><div id="MQkIDg"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dbacks manager Torey Lovullo admits he did not see one umpire make the correct call, a breakdown <a href="https://t.co/VKFmiVFDsx">pic.twitter.com/VKFmiVFDsx</a></p>— Jomboy (@Jomboy_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jomboy_/status/1925009902889795850?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2025</a></blockquote><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div><h3 id="R768Qm">Other Baseball News</h3><p id="ILsDHl"><a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/05/jared-jones-season-ending-elbow-surgery-ucl-tommy-john-internal-brace.html">Pirates’ Jared Jones, Enmanuel Valdez to Undergo Season-Ending Surgeries</a><br>If something can go wrong for the Pirates, it will. The only silver lining of any sort to be found here is that neither player is Paul Skenes.</p><p id="Sm0vN8"><a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/45245456/police-charge-ethan-kirkwood-role-kavan-markwood-fall">Police Charge Ethan Kirkwood for Kavan Markwood PNC Fall</a><br>Hopefully, something good comes from all the tragedy involved in this very messed up situation.</p><p id="SuTNOG"><a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/welcome-back-robbie-ray/">Welcome Back Robbie Ray</a><br>His pitches should not let him bully opposing batters and continue to be dominant, yet that is just what Robbie Ray is starting to do all over again now that he has returned healthy to the San Francisco rotation.</p><p id="aFMley"><strong>Huh</strong></p><div id="pESEyN"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Since ERA became official in both leagues in 1913, two MLB lefties have gone undefeated with a sub-2.00 ERA and 10.00+ K/9 over their first 10 starts of a season.<br><br>One is the <a href="https://twitter.com/Phillies?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Phillies</a>' Jesús Luzardo this year.<br><br>The other was Randy Johnson in 1995. <a href="https://t.co/Bg0fxKZ9s8">pic.twitter.com/Bg0fxKZ9s8</a></p>— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) <a href="https://twitter.com/OptaSTATS/status/1925041994214023508?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2025</a></blockquote><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div> </content> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/2025/5/21/24434631/snake-byes-5-21-tough-losses-happen"/> <id>https://www.azsnakepit.com/2025/5/21/24434631/snake-byes-5-21-tough-losses-happen</id> <author> <name>James Attwood</name> </author> </entry> <entry> <published>2025-05-21T01:40:03-04:00</published> <updated>2025-05-21T01:40:03-04:00</updated> <title>Despite Late Heroics, Dbacks Fall to Dodgers in 10: Dbacks 3, Dodgers 4</title> <content type="html"> <figure> <img alt="MLB: Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles Dodgers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mcXFdpv99n8vabeFgJfMVBTXsoc=/0x0:3527x2351/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74093853/usa_today_26230220.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption> </figure> <p>Despite clutch late home runs from Gabi Moreno and Corbin Carroll, the Dbacks weren’t able to hold off the Dodgers in extras. </p> <p id="xwYT8y">This game began as a pitcher’s dual as Ryne Nelson started in the place of the injured Eduardo Rodriguez, and went toe to toe with the Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Ryne really had his stuff working as he was able to match Yamamoto for 5 innings allowing only 1 Dodgers run. </p><p id="X5tCVi">Offensively, the Dbacks couldn’t get anything going in the early going as Yamamoto had his stuff working tonight. He even had a no hitter going through 6 innings when Ketel Marte finally broke it up as he almost put a hole in the RF wall with a laser beam single. </p><p id="9lV5ZB">Things would stay relatively quiet until the 8<sup>th</sup> inning when team captain Geraldo Perdomo stayed hot and lead off the inning with a double. Fun new guy Tim Tawa then followed with one of the plays of the game as he laid down a perfect bunt single down the 3<sup>rd</sup> base line that caught the pitcher and the third baseman in between and advanced Perdomo to third base with no one out. What proceeded would then be a sad state of affairs where the Dbacks would squander 3 straight opportunities to tie the game. Geno popped up harmlessly on the infield, Carroll struck out swinging, they intentionally walked Ketel, and with 2 outs Gurriel struck out. </p><p id="phQXGc">Going into the 9<sup>th</sup> inning, it felt as though this would be another sad recap of missed opportunities until Gabriel Moreno came up and tied the game in the 9<sup>th</sup> inning with a moonshot to left field off of the Dodgers expensive new closer Tanner Scott! Moreno has homered 3 times this season, and all 3 have been against the Dodgers. I mentioned in the thread from last nights game how Gabi pulling a ball into the air to deep left field could be a really good sign that his bat is heating up, and it looks like that could be the case!</p><div id="WiOZFP"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/m/tanner-scott-in-play-run-s-to-gabriel-moreno" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media *;"></iframe></div></div><p id="vNHbE6">The game would go to extra innings and in the top of the 10<sup>th</sup> after fouling multiple balls off of his body, and getting hit in the forearm earlier in the game, Corbin Carroll hit a massive 2 run home run opposite field to put the Dbacks up 3-1. Again off of the expensive Dodgers closer. </p><div id="uM5UV0"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/m/tanner-scott-in-play-run-s-to-corbin-carroll" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media *;"></iframe></div></div><p id="TbgJRH">Unfortunately for the Dbacks, the used and abused closer Shelby Miller couldn’t hold the Dodgers in the home half of the 10<sup>th</sup>. He made some good pitches, but the Dodgers were able to find some grass in the outfield. In addition, a really unfortunate splitter barely grazed the Dodger catcher’s elbow guard forcing in another run. All in all, Miller wasn’t getting hit hard, but the Dodgers were able to battle back and get the win. Torey mentioned in the post game that he thought that having to have Shelby pitch last night played a big role in Shelby not being able to hold onto the lead. </p><p id="ekgPRp">All in all this was a well played game on both sides. You could look back to the 8<sup>th</sup> inning and the inability to score the runner from 3<sup>rd</sup> as a missed opportunity, however the Dbacks made up for it later with some clutch hitting. The bullpen all in all was also pretty good for the Dbacks tonight with the exception of Shelby Miller being unable to keep the lead. The good news for the Dbacks is that help may soon be on the way in the bullpen as Justin Martinez hit 102 mph in his rehab outing in Reno. Sounds a lot more like the closer we all know and miss. We will wait and see what next steps look like for him, but this team desperately needs him back in the 9<sup>th</sup> inning with his swing and miss. That would also bump the rest of the bullpen guys forward an inning to their more respective spots. </p><p id="16X5fx">Another story line that may be worth talking about here is the usage of Jordan Lawlar. Lawlar who has known struggles against breaking balls from right handers started tonight against one of the toughest breaking ball pitchers in the league while he sat last night against the fresh up from the minors lefty. Seems like an odd way to try and get Lawlar some momentum. In 8 days in the big leagues, Torey has only been able to get Lawlar 10 at bats. Not quite the 3-4 starts per week Torey said he was targeting when he was called up. Unfortunately much of the Twitter verse has already seemingly turned on Lawlar, but I cant imagine it is easy to get in any sort of rhythm offensively playing so sporadically. He did have a couple of really great plays at 3<sup>rd</sup> base which is an encouraging sign. </p> </content> <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/2025/5/21/24434324/despite-late-heroics-dbacks-fall-to-dodgers-in-10-dbacks-3-dodgers-4"/> <id>https://www.azsnakepit.com/2025/5/21/24434324/despite-late-heroics-dbacks-fall-to-dodgers-in-10-dbacks-3-dodgers-4</id> <author> <name>jeffern51</name> </author> </entry></feed> If you would like to create a banner that links to this page (i.e. this validation result), do the following:
Download the "valid Atom 1.0" banner.
Upload the image to your own server. (This step is important. Please do not link directly to the image on this server.)
Add this HTML to your page (change the image src attribute if necessary):
If you would like to create a text link instead, here is the URL you can use:
http://www.feedvalidator.org/check.cgi?url=https%3A//www.azsnakepit.com/rss/index.xml
