The Week In The West: Diamondbacks and Dodgers creating space

Week 12 featured a Rockies team determined to get back to winning ways at home. Though they did win more than they lost at Coors Field this week, the how and why of that record is still a concern.

Arizona was on the road and only lost once this week, increasing their lead in the division.

Teams will be hitting the half-way mark of the season as the All-Star Break and the trade deadline near. Let’s check the standings, as well as the week that was and preview the week ahead.

Arizona Diamondbacks: 1st Place (44-33, – GB)

Series Record: 15-6-4

Last 10 Games: 7-3

This Week: @LAA (2), @PIT (4); 5-1

The Diamondbacks kept All-World Mike Trout to just three singles in their two games; however, his third hit scored two runs to give the Angels the deciding lead.

Last week, the benches cleared between Arizona and Pittsburgh; this week, the Pirates were very quiet as they were limited to just six runs against DBacks pitching.

With the Pirates employing an all right-handed starting rotation, the DBacks four-game series sweep improved their record to 27-24 against righties.

Since the calendar flipped to June, Arizona is 16-6.

Archie Bradley and T.J. McFarland each earned a save this week while closer Brad Boxberger blew one against Pittsburgh during a 13-inning affair. Though he was not credited with an earned run, Boxberger blew his fourth save and has a modest 3.76 ERA in what is one of the top bullpens in the National League.

Patrick Corbin has been even better than his 6-3 record suggests. His ERA is 3.24, but his FIP is 2.85 and his expected fielding independent pitching (xFIP) is 2.85. With a 2.6 WAR this season, he’s the been the fourth best starting pitcher in the NL, according to this evaluating metric.

It may have taken a lot longer than expected, but Paul Goldschmidt now leads his team in WAR (2.7), amassing nearly all of this value – 2.3 WAR – during the past 30 days.

Daniel Descalso is back to hitting in the heart of the Diamondbacks order and has 16 RBI in 17 games played in the month of June.

The Week Ahead: @MIA (4), SFG (3)

On Monday, Shelby Miller will make his season debut and throw his first pitch for Arizona since April 23, 2017 after having Tommy John surgery. He’ll make two starts this week, along with Zack Godley.

Los Angeles Dodgers: 2nd Place (41-35, 2.5 GB)

Series Record: 11-8-6

Last 10 Games: 7-3

This Week: @CHC (3), @NYM (3); 4-2

The Dodgers split a doubleheader against the Cubs on Tuesday after some downpouring and a power outage.

Los Angeles swept at Citi Field in Flushing behind a Game 3 victory aided by seven solo home runs.

Dodgers will be fortunate to face three lefties this upcoming week as they are 18-9 against southpaw starters.

L.A. has played .750 baseball in the month of June (15-5) entering the week.

Clayton Kershaw made his return in a dream matchup against Mets ace Jacob deGrom. The lefty skipped his remaining rehab start on Saturday in favor of pitching in N.Y. and tossed just three innings, giving up five hits, walking one and striking out four.

Rich Hill did the improbable by pitching 11 solid innings this week after returning from the DL on Tuesday due to his ongoing issues with blisters that have plagued him for the past few years.

Due in part to numerous injuries to starting pitchers and the use of openers, the Dodgers have started eleven different pitchers this season through their first 76 games.

Left-handed relievers Scott Alexander and Edwin Paredes have combined to go 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA in their 16.0 innings of work this month. They’ve also struck out 19 batters during that span.

Chase Utley returned from the DL just as starting shortstop Chris Taylor missed three games with hamstring tightness. With franchise shortstop Corey Seager out for the season, Kike Hernandez becomes the third player to try and fill the hole left by the Dodgers young star.

The Atlanta Braves thought Matt Kemp was worth more to them on another roster than on their own. On Saturday, Kemp was worth more to the Dodgers on their bench. His pinch-hit grand slam helped secure a series win in New York.

Logan Forsythe, second baseman turned utility infielder, is starting to heat up. His .357 batting average going into Sunday over the past two weeks leads regulars. Forsythe has been underwhelming with Los Angeles since his acquisition from Tampa Bay in 2017 for talented pitching prospect Jose De Leon.

The Week Ahead: CHC (4), COL (3)

For the second consecutive week, a rematch of the 2017 NLCS will take place between the Dodgers and Cubs. Los Angeles will try to lay waste of Colorado, who are four games back of their NL West rival.

New staff ace Ross Stripling will get two starts this week and will pitch against the Rockies, who drafted him out of high school in 2011.

San Francisco Giants: 3rd Place (40-39, 5.0 GB)

Series Record: 9-10-4

Last 10 Games: 6-4

This Week: MIA (3), SD (4); 5-2

The Giants got over the .500 mark, but still dropped a game in the standings this week behind an even better Diamondbacks squad.

While San Francisco played two of the worst NL clubs this week, they dropped one game in each of their series.

The Giants played well this week despite not having Brandon Crawford (paternity leave) and Evan Longoria (hand surgery) for three and seven games, respectively. Somehow, they’ve made it work with subpar replacements and below-average seasons from some of their star attractions.

Brandon Belt looks fully healed from the appendectomy that sidelined him for over two weeks. Entering Sunday, he hit for a slash line of .333/.407/.500 in the previous seven games.

Andrew Suarez continued to be effective at home during his two quality starts this week; he lowered his ERA with 12.1 IP and just three ER to go along with 11 Ks at AT&T Park.

Madison Bumgarner put it all together this week in his fourth start off the DL with a dominant win against San Diego. The southpaw threw 104 pitches over 8.1 innings and did not give up a run. He allowed five base runners and struck out eight.

In a rehab start against the Rockies’ Triple-A affiliate, Jeff Samardzija tossed four innings. He gave up two earned runs, four hits and zero walks while striking out seven Albuquerque batters.

The Week Ahead: COL (3), @ARI (3)

With two series wins last week, the Giants have a chance to get their series record above .500, as they have won nine series and lost 10, while also moving closer to the top of the NL West this week.

Derek Holland will make two starts this week. His first will be on Tuesday against the Rockies, who he last pitched against on May 30th, surrendering four earned runs on eight hits in five innings of work, striking out none.

Colorado Rockies: 4th Place (38-40, 6.5 GB)

Series Record: 10-12-3

Last 10 Games: 5-5

This Week: NYM (4), MIA (3); 4-3

Colorado slipped back another 1.5 games in the standings this week after losing the opener to the Mets and the final two games of the Marlins series.

The Rockies were victorious in one of the two German Marquez starts this week at home, but his already poor ERA and WHIP at Coors Field this season grew even higher.

The offense kept producing this week with 10 or more runs in three separate games this week.

Arenado hit home runs in four consecutive games and 5-out-of-6 during the homestand at Coors Field.

With that colossal week at home, Nolan Arenado put himself into Triple Crown contention. In the National League, his batting average (.318) is 5th behind leader Scooter Gennett (.332), his home runs (18) second behind Bryce Harper (19) and his runs batted in (55) is 3rd behind leaders Eugenio Suarez and teammate Trevor Story (tied at 58).

The metrics love Jon Gray. Though the Wolf of Blake Street has a 5.52 ERA, his 2.4 WAR is 5th best in the NL, aided by an excellent 2.82 xFIP.

Gray’s start on Friday was another glimpse into the potential ace he can be for a franchise in need of some big victories. He struck out 12 hitters during his seven innings of work and surrendered just one run, a solo homer.

Yency Almonte made his major league debut on Thursday in exciting fashion, getting an inning-ending double play in relief—after 101 games as a starting pitcher—to help preserve a Rockies victory over the Mets.

It was another difficult week for Bryan Shaw, who found himself in three more games in front of the crowds in Colorado. While the 30-year-old right-hander has pitched in 70 or more games in each of the last five seasons, Shaw was on pace for his highest total of appearances in his eight-year career before being placed on the DL with a strained right calf on Sunday. This is the first time Shaw has spent time on the DL.  

The Week Ahead: @SF (3), @LAD (3)

Colorado will face three left-handed starters this week on the road, two qualifiers that have favored the Rockies this year. They’ll face Bumgarner on Wednesday and miss Kershaw during the Dodgers series.

Chad Bettis will get the task of making two starts this week against both of their long-time foes.

San Diego Padres: 5th Place (35-45, 10.5 GB)

Series Record: 9-14-2

Last 10 Games: 2-8

This Week: OAK (2), @SF (4); 1-5

Getting swept in a two-game series by the Athletics was particularly troubling for the Padres who had just returned from 11 games on the road. San Diego then left the comfortable confines of Petco Park for a span of seven more games on the road, which began by dropping 3-of-4 to the divisional Giants.

Only two regulars, Manuel Margot and Cory Spangenberg, are hitting over .300 this month for the Friars.

The lineup welcomed back two players who hadn’t seen action since late April: Austin Hedges and Wil Myers. Hedges, sidelined on April 30, missed time because of elbow tendinitis; Myers hadn’t played since April 28 due to a strained left oblique.

Eric Lauer had the best career start of his young career, tossing 6 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out seven.

On Sunday, San Diego promoted Robert Stock, who made his MLB debut on Sunday by striking out 2 in his lone inning of work. Stock was drafted in the 2nd round in 2009 by the Cardinals as a catcher out of USC.

Kirby Yates has not given up a run in his last 10.1 innings pitched over 9 appearances. To date, the RHP from Hawaii has a 0.90 ERA this season in 30 IP.

The Padres bullpen is in or near the top 10 in all major pitching categories. It is expected that a number of their relievers will be made available during the trade deadline.

The Week Ahead: @TEX (3), PIT (3)

On Tuesday, San Diego is scheduled to face the Rangers battery of starter Austin Bibens-Dirkx and catcher Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

The promotion for Saturday’s game against Pittsburgh is a commemorative Trevor Hoffman 500th save bobblehead; Sunday’s promotion on July 1st is inexplicably entitled “4th of July”.