Game of the Week: August 17: HOU @ ARI

[Commissioner Erick]

Houston Astros (60-58) @ Arizona Diamondbacks (64-53)


HOU: Frances Martes (5-8, 6.69)
ARI: Ariel Jurado (4-2, 4.73)


The Arizona Diamondbacks have remained near the top of the NL West with an amazing string of baseball against teams not named the Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite going 0-6 against the Dodgers the past two months, the Diamondbacks have gone 25-9 against everyone else since June 30 to keep within two games of the NL West lead.

Since the Houston Astros are not the Los Angeles Astros or the Houston Dodgers, they should be wary when they host Arizona for the Game of the Week.

On June 30, Arizona woke up under .500 and three games behind the Colorado Rockies. Colorado has gone 12-1 in August to remain two up in the NL West. The Dodgers have gone 6-0 against Arizona to remain in the hunt as well. Arizona though has kept pace with a stretch of great baseball and has set themselves up as a wild card contender should the division not break their way.

Arizona's done this with an impressive August that has seen the snakes go 5-1 against the rampaging Chicago Cubs. Despite an exceptional staff, the Cubs only had a starter go more than 5 innings in one of the games, a four run-6 inning affair by Chris Sale.

Arizona had largely struggled with the best teams all season, but the dominance of the Cubs, plus a sweep of Atlanta and a series win over Washington in late July have hinted that Arizona has turned that around.

One reason for Arizona's success is the amazing production they've gotten from Tucker Barnhart of all people since mid-June. Barnhart has gone 24-60 since June 12th, a .400 average. He's hit a couple of homers during that span, but also nine doubles. After a strong season as a backup for the Reds in 2017, he was a minor leaguer in 2018 and awful for the Nationals last year. His production has been a terrific bonus for the Diamondbacks though, as he's hit .343 this year. With Oscar Hernandez slugging 17 home runs to date, and the team committing just one passed ball more than the best team in the league, Arizona has gotten strong production from its catchers.

That just means Arizona has no place to attack for pitchers as every starter has double figure home runs for Arizona. Two years ago, Arizona only had two players with more than 20 home runs. Last year they had three. They'll almost certainly have six this year, and that power has Arizona close to blasting into the postseason.

Arizona will face a Houston team that's been beat up and has watched the AL West slip away from them. While the Diamondbacks were out beating up the Cubs, Houston was floundering against good teams, splitting with the Rays, getting swept by the Blue Jays, before barely salvaging one win against the White Sox before losing a series in Chicago and getting swept in Texas. Houston has lost nine of ten and has basically ceded the division to the Rangers.

They can still capture a wild card, but they'll be turning to a pitcher today who has allowed the fourth most home runs in the AL in only 111.2 innings. Francis Martes gave up four home runs in his last start, an eight-run drubbing by the White Sox, and is only 5-8 with a 6.69 ERA this season. Martes was decent as a reliever last year, but he's been a pinata as a starter and is facing a team that connects loudly. This matchup could end terribly for the Astros.

Houston's saving grace is an offense that continues to dominate. Four players are hitting at least .298 with at least 18 home runs, and Mike Trout and Alex Bregman are legitimate MVP candidates. However, one member of that quartet is banged up as Josh Reddick has a knee bruise. If he has to go out of the lineup, then Houston may not have the juice needed to cover for a disappointing staff.


Questions for the GM's:


For Ryan James, Frances Martes has been awful this year. Any thoughts of putting him back in the pen for tonight's game or future games?

You've got a lot of minor injuries today to George Springer, Josh Reddick, and Carlos Correa. Will any of them miss today's game?

What's happened to your team this year. Did you foresee a scenario in which you'd miss the postseason?

For Ben Nuzzo, you signed a new pitching coach and bench coach before this season. Do you believe Alex Cora, a former Astro, and Chris Gissell have helped your squad this year?

You have a rookie making a start tonight, Ariel Jurado. What are your thoughts on his rookie year?

You were able to trade for Greg Allen last year and he has an OBP of .378. On a team of sluggers, how big has his ability to get on base been for your team?

[dbackhon]

You signed a new pitching coach and bench coach before this season. Do you believe Alex Cora, a former Astro, and Chris Gissell have helped your squad this year?

Over the offseason the Diamondbacks organization wanted to foster a winning culture, a mindset where the division title and the playoffs were the goal on everyone's mind from ownership all the way down the organization. Cora coming from a team that had made the playoffs for each of the past two seasons has been a significant contributor to the culture that we've been able to establish here in Arizona this season as well as the overwhelmingly positive atmosphere in the clubhouse. Everyone really likes Alex... That's why it's also important to have someone like Gissell, who as a pitching coach who can help foster the talent of our pitching staff particularly young pitchers like Marco Gonzales and Aaron Blair. 

You have a rookie making a start tonight, Ariel Jurado. What are your thoughts on his rookie year?

Jurado is a solid player and one that I think will be a contributor to the back-end of our rotation for a long time to come. As an organization we have to be sure that when he's on the mound to play solid defense behind him. Our pitching coach Chris Gissell - who you mentioned earlier - has done a lot to foster Jurado's growth especially these past few months and we think that with solid defense behind him he should be able to churn out quality starts with more regularity.

You were able to trade for Greg Allen last year and he has an OBP of .378. On a team of sluggers, how big has his ability to get on base been for your team?

From a raw numbers standpoint absolutely, last year we were at the bottom of the league in OBP and this year we are fifth, between that and the consistent power throughout our lineup this offense has really blossomed into a force to be reckoned with. However Greg has meant so much more to this organization than just his ability to get on base. On the field he is a terror on the basepaths, can club one into the gap with the best of them and is also a capable defender in all three outfield positions. Off the field he has emerged as one of the team's leaders, a real clubhouse captain.

[Commissioner Erick]

Astros 1 - Diamondbacks 0


WP: F. Martes (6-8)
LP: A. Jurado (4-3)
SV: K. Giles (23)


The Houston Astros have been floundering all summer and needed a win to stay close in the AL playoff picture. They were facing a hot team, countering with a pitcher sporting an ERA over six.

Houston got a gem of a start from Frances Martes, who pitched 7 innings of shutout ball to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 1-0.

Based on the quality of the starters, the quality of the offenses, and the location of the game, it seemed like the strangest of locales for a 1-0 game. However, Martes pitched his best game of the year, one of only three he's allowed no runs, and the longest of the three.

Normally fly-ball oriented, Martes got 10 ground outs compared to four fly outs. His 10 ground outs were the most he's had in a game all year. As a result, Arizona only had one extra base hit.

The Diamondbacks got a good start from Ariel Jurado, who allowed just a run in 5 innings of his own. However, Carlos Correa's ground smash between Joey Gallo and the third base line in the third inning turned out to be the decisive ball hit in the game. By the time the ball was tracked down by Christian Yellich in left field, Mike Trout had raced home with the game's only run.

Trout ended up walking three times in the game. Correa struck out three times, so the strategy was sound. The one time Correa made contact turned out to be the deciding factor.

One of the stars of the game was catcher Garrett Stubbs. In the first inning, Arizona put runners on the corners to begin the game, but Wilmer Difo was caught stealing second base. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases, but Jose Altuve made a lunging spear of a Joey Gallo liner for the second out, before Eric Thames fanned with the bases full. If not for the caught stealing, Arizona gets a run in the inning if not more.

Stubbs showed off his glove in the eighth. After Yellich walked, Brandon Drury batted as Arizona's cleanup hitter. Rather than reliever James Hoyt having to deal with the mess of the heart of Arizona's order, Yellich attempted to steal second and got caught. Brandon Drury followed with a ground out and Arizona got nothing.

Ken Giles worked the ninth for his 23rd save and Arizona missed an opportunity to gain ground in the NL West.


Questions for the GMs:


For Ryan James, what convinced you to keep Martes in the rotation so he could churn out a gem like this?

All your nicked up regulars had nice offensive games. Does this make you more apt to play injured players going forward?

Garrett Stubbs has made a number of big throws in the past, most memorably last year's ALDS. How much do value his arm behind home plate?

For Ben Nuzzo, Wilmer Difo kind of ran himself out of an inning in the first. Did you mind the decision to run there?

You were very careful to Mike Trout, walking him three times. Was that by design or was that a sign of pitchers not executing?

Jurado walked four guys but only surrendered a run. What did you think of his start against a good lineup?

[dbackhon]

Wilmer Difo kind of ran himself out of an inning in the first. Did you mind the decision to run there?

Not at all. We have torched the basepaths all year long and we will continue to do so. There's a world in which Wilmer get's a slightly faster jump and we win the game because of it. 

You were very careful to Mike Trout, walking him three times. Was that by design or was that a sign of pitchers not executing?

We didn't want to give him any meatballs, but some of it is Trout having a good eye.

Jurado walked four guys but only surrendered a run. What did you think of his start against a good lineup?

It's encouraging, obviously you want to keep the walks down a bit but he knew what he needed to do to keep the Astros off the board (for the most part) and was able to execute that plan very well. That being said I dont think that will be the best way to attack a lineup like Colorado - especially at coors - or the LA Dodgers.