Arizona Diamondbacks: Pitching has fallen flat in the NLDS against Dodgers

By Joseph Jacquez

Oct 8, 2017

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 07: Brandon Drury #27 of the Arizona Diamondbacks is congratulated by his teammate Ketel Marte #4 after his three run home run during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game two of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 7, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

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LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 07: Paul Goldschmidt #44 of the Arizona Diamondbacks hits a two run home run during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game two of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 7, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

Home run or nothing

All of the Diamondbacks’ runs on Saturday came via the long ball.

Paul Goldschmidt’s two run home run in the first gave the D-backs an early 2-0 lead. Then with Arizona down 7-2 in the seventh, Brandon Drury delivered a pinch-hit three run bomb to left field. Drury’s home run cut the Dodgers lead to two, 7-5.

Home runs and strikeouts are the norm in baseball, but when the D-backs are at their best offensively when they link at-bats and score runs the old fashioned way: get em on, get em over, get em in.

The D-backs linked at-bats in the wild card game. As a result, the whole lineup contributed and despite leaving 10 on base, the D-backs scored 11 runs on 17 hits.

The D-backs are 1-for-8 with RISP in the division series and the Dodgers have had 30 opportunities in two games with runners at second and/or third.

Not only have the D-backs hit a lot of home runs, plenty of them have been solo shots.

Hopefully coming home helps the D-backs get back to what they did in the wild card game.