The David Hernandez Resurgence and Other Reasons for Optimism in AZ
Source: D'Backs Central by jimneveau
Willie Bloomquist socked three hits and Wade Miley delivered yet another strong outing in his remarkable stint in the starting rotation as the Arizona Diamondbacks ended their three game losing streak with a 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The victory was important, as it allowed the Diamondbacks to maintain their position in the standings behind the Dodgers, and it also gave them some momentum heading into Colorado for a two-game set with the Rockies.
Don’t dust off that last sentence too quickly. We’ve seen this team be in the depths of despair before, and all it took was a well-executed win and the momentum started building like crazy. Last year, the team was in a rough stretch when a crisp win like this turned the tide. It was a May 14th tilt against these same Dodgers that saw Arizona win a 1-0 pitcher’s duel with Josh Collmenter on the mound, and they proceeded to win 14 of their next 16 games after that. That stretch vaulted them into the division lead, and they scarcely looked back.
Could the Diamondbacks be in for yet another run like that? It seems improbable, but there were some serious reasons for optimism if you’re an Arizona fan after last night’s performance:
They Hit with Runners in Scoring Position!
One of the biggest pitfalls facing this team so far on the still young campaign has been their inability to cash in on run support. This has been seen mostly with the guys hitting in the middle of the order, especially Justin Upton, and it has proven to provide a difficult challenge for a team that has suffered so many injuries and bullpen woes to overcome.
On Tuesday night, however, things finally seemed like they were beginning to click. The Diamondbacks had a slew of opportunities with the bases loaded, racking up eight plate appearances in those situations, and they were able to cash in five times with a walk, sac fly, and three singles.
Overall for the game, the team went 5-of-13 with runners in scoring position, and even though they easily could have gotten more runs in the fifth inning, the fact of the matter is that they did get three, and that is quite a lot more than they have been able to get in recent weeks.
Perhaps most telling of all, however, was the lack of panic that the team displayed when going about scoring those runs. In recent games (including Monday’s tilt), the Diamondbacks have been sending runners at all manner of times in order to capitalize on scoring opportunities, and the results haven’t always been pretty. On Tuesday, third base coach Matt Williams held up just about every runner that came near him, including Miguel Montero, who had gotten a tremendous jump off of second base and was rounding third before center fielder Andre Ethier even touched the ball.
This newfound poise was a welcome sight after a night filled with bad decision-making, and one would have to hope that the team can carry this kind of thing forward.
The Return of Chris Young and Stephen Drew Imminent!
This week has been an important one not only on the major league diamond for the Diamondbacks, but also on the fields of their spring training complex and one of their minor league affiliates.
Injuries have obviously been a huge part of the narrative for this team so far this season, but it appears as though they are finally starting to get some good news on that front. Daniel Hudson is scheduled to throw 50 pitches in a simulated spring training game at the Salt River complex on Wednesday afternoon, and he may very well be headed toward a minor league rehab assignment soon.
Shortstop Stephen Drew, who has been sidelined for the entire season, has been working on his sliding, hitting, and fielding for a while now, and he’s starting to ratchet up the intensity of his extended spring games, playing a full nine inning game earlier this week. Coaches seem to be impressed with his fielding acuity and are reporting that he isn’t feeling any ill effects from his ankle injury. There still isn’t a specific date for his return, but his progress is nothing short of optimism-inducing.
As for Chris Young, he is definitely the closest of the trio to coming back, having started his rehab assignment in single-A Visalia. On Tuesday, he went 2-for-5 for the team with three RBI and two doubles, and also played three innings in center field. According to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, Young will play one more game in Visalia and then get bumped up to play with the triple-A Reno Aces. He could return this weekend when the Diamondbacks face the Royals at Kauffman Stadium in a battle of the last two teams to host All-Star Games, but it seems as though he will definitely return when the Diamondbacks return to Phoenix to host the Dodgers next week.
The improving health of the team is a definite plus as they try to start eating into the lead the Dodgers have put up in the NL West, and with 125+ games remaining, there’s still plenty of time to do just that.
David Hernandez Is Turning Things Around
After a bit of a rough start, David Hernandez, who established himself as a bonafide dynamo as the set-up man for this team last year, has really begun to throw the ball well. He is locating his fastball tremendously, is working the counts into his favor, and in general looks like he has located the confidence in his approach that he was lacking early in the campaign.
The statistics speak for themselves. He worked a flawless eighth inning last night for Arizona, striking out two Dodger hitters, and he extended a streak that has seen him only allow one run since April 14th. In that game, he struggled mightily against Colorado, but he has obviously turned things around in a big way since, only allowing seven hits in his appearances since.
In his 17 1/3rd innings overall this season, he has only walked two batters while striking out 17 batters. He has an ERA near two, and you would have to think that the team would feel comfortable in having him close out games if the need should arise.
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