Patrick Corbin’s increasing velocity is saving the Arizona Diamondbacks
By Trisha Garcia
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Patrick Corbin is the reason the team is now in sole possession of the first Wild Card spot.
Patrick Corbin is 3-0 in his last three starts for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has pitched 23.1 innings, while only giving up one earned run, but striking out 21 batters.
Corbin’s recent tear is the best he has looked since 2013, before his Tommy John procedure. The last time the lefty won more than two games in a row was his seven-game winning streak that ended in June 2013.
The 28-year-old was an All-Star in 2013 and won a career-high 14 games.
In the two seasons since his Tommy John surgery in 2014, Corbin owns an 11-18 record. His win on Tuesday night was his 11th of the 2017 season.
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Three of the Diamondbacks last five wins (in 11 games) have been at the hands of Patrick Corbin. His ERA in those starts is 0.39, while he has a 4.09 ERA on the season.
According to FanGraphs, Corbin’s pitch velocity has increased since the All-Star break in all of his pitches except his slider. This includes his fastball, sinker and changeup.
However, the data is not available for Corbin’s last two starts.
Corbin has thrown between 102 and 107 pitches in each of his last three starts, including falling one out short of a complete game against the Houston Astros.
With the rest of the rotation having difficulty in at least one of their last few starts, Corbin has been the hero the Diamondbacks needed.
After being swept by the Minnesota Twins, the Diamondbacks had fallen a game behind the Colorado Rockies in the Wild Card race and the Milwaukee Brewers were closing in. The win behind Corbin’s dominant performance on Tuesday brought the Wild Card race to a tie between the NL West division rivals.
Not only has his pitching provided much needed rest for the bullpen, but Corbin has been making quick work of his opponents and getting the Diamondbacks back in the batter’s box in a short amount of time. This is bringing the offense back to life as the schedule winds down into the last month of the season.
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Corbin’s ace-like performances as of late are yet another glimmer of hope for the team with Robbie Ray’s return this week.