Diamondbacks Notes: May 10, 2009
* RESISTIBLE FORCE V. MOVABLE OBJECT - Some series you see on the schedule and you think: "Aha! This is the soft spot. The Diamondbacks are sure to make up some ground here."
Didn't the three-game home set against Washington look that way? A Nationals club with a team ERA over five and an incapacity to induce strike-outs seemed the perfect tonic for Arizona's ailing offense. Instead, the Snakes managed to overcome their futility at the plate only in Game 3. After scoring six runs total in losses on Friday and Saturday nights, the Diamondbacks recorded a 10-8 victory on Sunday to salvage a series split.
Arizona earned its win in Game 3 -- and the first of AJ Hinch's managerial career -- by hitting well with runners in scoring position. The Snakes were 8/21 in scoring situations on Sunday; in the first two games of the series, they were 3/26 with runners in scoring position.
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* DYNAMIC DUO - In winning the weekend set, Washington got tremendous contributions from its two best players.
Adam Dunn cranked four home runs in the series, at least one bomb in each game. He has now produced more in just 30 games with the Nationals (133 PA, 11 HR, 28 RBI) than he did in 44 games for the Diamondbacks (187 PA, 9 HR, 26 RBI). Dunn was also productive in an inauspicious way; his misplays earned him three errors for the series.
Impressive with both the bat and the glove was Ryan Zimmerman. The Nationals third-baseman extended his hitting streak to 28 games. He finished the series 6/14 with a homer and a double. Zimmerman sparkled in the field as well, even when he could not record the out. His diving stab, pop and throw on Friday failed to retire batter Josh Wilson, but the effort and execution were worthy.
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* UPWARD MOBILITY - Among the weekend's positive developments were the continuation of Justin Upton's consecutive games with a base hit. He now has hit safely in 17 games in a a row. Upton also stole a base in the series. As Hinch has promised they would be, his Diamondbacks base-runners were aggressive. Their reward was four steals in five attempts against Washington.
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