Diamondbacks series preview: Houston has a problem

By Christopher Gaine

May 30, 2016

May 20, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Jake Lamb (22) and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (44) are congratulated by right fielder Brandon Drury (27) after scoring during the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /

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Tale of the tape:

Record: Diamondbacks (23-29), Astros (23-29)

Offense: Diamondbacks (.269/.331/.444, fourth in NL in runs), Astros (.231/.310/.402, tenth in AL in runs)

Pitching: Diamondbacks (4.76 ERA, 13th in NL), Astros (4.34 ERA, 12th in AL)

Both teams have had disappointing pitching staffs this year thanks to some underwhelming individual performances. Last year’s Cy Young winner and playoff hero Dallas Keuchel is 3-6 with a 5.58 ERA this season. Fellow starters Collin McHugh and Mike Fires also have ERAs north of five. This is similar to what the Diamondbacks have seen from Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller this season.
But unlike the Diamondbacks, the Astros have not been blessed with a fantastic offense. Carlos Correa hasn’t lived up to his MVP hype with a .245/.332/.411 slash. Evan Gattis is only batting .243/.303/.432 with 13 RBI in 32 games. Carlos Gomez is batting far below the Mendoza line. It seems like everyone on Houston has slumped at the same time– leading to a nightmarish start for the preseason World Series favorite.