SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS NOTES:
REMINDER TO CALL YOUR MOM: San Francisco wraps up their quick four-game road trip in Arizona, their first trip without leaving the time zone this year, with the final game of this four game set today at Chase Field…with a win today, the Giants can even the series at two games apiece.
MOM’S GOT MOVES: Prior to today’s game, IF Brandon Crawford was activated from the 10-day Injured List… following last night’s game, IF David Villar was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento…RHP Luke Jackson was placed on a rehab assignment with Single-A San Jose.
MOM’S OFF DUTY, GO ASK DAD: According to Stats, LLC, since the Diamondbacks joined MLB in 1998, few teams have as many road wins against any opponent as the Giants do in Arizona (128-92)…since 2019, the Giants are 21-14 here at Chase Field with a +18 run differential.
MLB, Most Road Wins vs. Any Opponent – Since 1998 (Stats, LLC)
Team Opponent Wins
Red Sox vs. Orioles 133
Yankees vs. Orioles 133
Giants vs. D-Backs 128
Team Opponent Wins
Braves vs. Marlins 126
Cardinals vs. Brewers 122
A TITLE JUST ABOVE QUEEN: Today’s starter, RHP Logan Webb, is scheduled to make his ninth start of the year…over his last four outings, he’s posted a 3-1 record with a 2.22 ERA (7er, 28.1ip) and 27 strikeouts…he’s thrown 6.2+ innings and allowed two runs or fewer in each of those four outings… Webb has pitched very well against the Diamondbacks over his career posting a 2.65 ERA over six starts.
EVERYTHING YOU TAUGHT ME: In his last start on May 9 against Washington, Webb threw 50 changeups, a career high…he threw 40 of 50 for strikes, which helped offset that he gave up five hits with it (5 hits, 10 outs)…over his last four starts, he’s allowed nine hits with his changeup and recorded 44 outs, compared to his first four starts where he allowed 11 hits and recorded just 22 outs (SIS).
IN HONOR OF MOM: In honor of Mother’s Day today, many MLB players will swing custom pink bats to raise awareness for the fight against breast cancer through the “Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer” initiative…Louisville Slugger is making pink bats for more than 100 MLB players this year… since 2006, Louisville Slugger has donated more than 4,000 custom pink bats for MLB players to swing in games played on Mother’s Day…in addition to awareness, funds are generated for cancer research organizations through the sale of custom pink Louisville Slugger bats available to the public at slugger. com… $10 from the sale of each custom pink Louisville Slugger bat will be donated to Major League Baseball Charities in support of the fight against breast cancer.
IN CASE NO ONE TOLD YOU, YOU’RE DOING A GREAT JOB: IF J.D. Davis has been on a hot streak, batting .367 (11-for-30) with a .929 OPS…Davis has also played extremely well against the Diamondbacks over his career, hitting .366 with 11 extra base hits in 26 games, including a .480 average (12-for-25) in his last six contests against Arizona…he has even better numbers here at Chase Field where he’s hitting .412 with a 1.197 OPS in 11 career games.
MAKING MOM SMILE: IF Casey Schmitt, the Giants’ No. 4 prospect on MLB.com, has had a historically hot start to his Big League career since debuting last Tuesday night…Schmitt has hit safely in each of his first five career games, going 11-for-20 (.550) with five runs scored, three doubles, two homers and five RBI…his 11 hits over his first five career games are the second-most in Giants history (since 1901) behind only Jim Davenport in 1958.
MOM’S PRIDE AND JOY: Since April 23, IF LaMonte Wade Jr. is hitting .344 (21-for-61) with 12 runs scored, five homers, 10 RBI, .452 OBP and a 1.124 OPS…Wade is currently riding a career-best 19-game on-base streak dating to April 20, the fifth-longest active on-base streak in MLB…his .439 OBP this season ranks as the best figure in the Majors.
MOMMA KNOWS BEST: The Giants, the winningest club in MLB history, can become the first franchise to reach 11,500 wins (including playoffs) with a victory tonight over Arizona (Stathead).
GOT IT FROM MY MOMMA: The Giants have hit 61 home runs through 38 games, tied with the Braves for the third-most in the Majors behind the Rays (80) and Dodgers (67)…overall, SF has 12 different players with at least two homers this season…14 different Giants have hit at least one big fly this season.
A MOTHER’S JOB IS NEVER DONE: Following today’s game, the Giants will travel home to San Francisco and start a six-game, seven-day homestand against the Philadelphia Phillies (Monday-Wednesday) and the Miami Marlins (Friday-Sunday)…SF is currently in a stretch where they play 12 of 16 games at Oracle Park…the Giants have won eight of their last 12 contests on the Shores of McCovey Cove.
TODAY’S STARTER – LOGAN WEBB RHP #62
2023 RECORD: 3-5, 3.46 ERA
WITH THE GIANTS: Is in the midst of his fifth season with SF…made his fourth career Opening Day roster and his second consecutive Opening Day start with his outing on March 30 at the Yankees… signed a five-year, $90 million extension on April 14 that keeps him in a Giants uniform through 2028…the contract bought out his final two arbitration years and first three years of free agency.
LAST TIME OUT: Picked up his third win in his last four starts with 7.0 more solid innings of one-run ball last Tuesday against the Washington Nationals are Oracle Park in SF’s 4-1 win…Webb deked and danced through trouble all night as the Nationals recorded nine hits and had the leadoff man on in five of the seven innings he pitched….he struck out seven and walked just one in the 105-pitch effort…the 105 pitches matched his season high (also April 17 at Miami).
TURNING A CORNER? : Over his last four starts, Webb has looked more like the 2021-2022 version, posting a 2.22 ERA (7er, 28.1ip) on 26 hits with five walks and 27 strikeouts…the home run bug has still bit Webb in this stretch as he’s allowed one homer in three of the four starts but the rest of the peripherals have been better than his first four outings (0-4, 4.94 ERA, 26 hits, 23.2ip)…in this stretch, Webb’s changeup has been a key as its accounted for 44 of the 85 outs that he’s recorded according to SIS.
I WATCHED A CHANGE…IN YOU: Through his first four starts this year opponents hit .344 with a .563 slugging % off his changeup… in his last four starts, opposing hitters have gone 9-for-52 (.173) against the pitch two extra-base hits (double and a homer), 14 strikeouts and four walks…the Nationals actually did pretty well off it last time out, going 5-for-15 after the Astros went 3-for-16, the Cardinals went 1-for-10 and the Mets were 0-for-11…last season, they batted .204 with a .286 slugging %…during his breakout 2021 season, opponents had a .263 average with a .365 slugging % off the changeup.
VS. ARIZONA: He’s made six career starts vs. the D-Backs in his career, going 3-2 with a 2.65 ERA (10er, 34.0ip)…Webb went 3-0 and the Giants were 4-0 as a team in Webb’s first four career starts vs. the D-Backs…in his last two starts against them last season, however, the D-Backs touched him up for nine runs (seven earned) on 16 hits in 11.0 combined innings as he suffered the loss in both games.
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS NOTES:
HERE’S THE STORY
♦ Arizona seeks their fourth series win in their last 6.
♦ The D-backs look to secure their first series win vs. Giants since July 25-27, 2022 (3-0) and first 4-game series win vs. Giants since April 2-6, 2017 (3-1).
♦ The D-backs are second in the NL West and have spent 23 total days in or tied for first place (April 2-30).
♦ Dominic Fletcher is batting .462 (18-for-39)/1.231 OPS with 3 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers, 5 runs, 13 RBI and 2 walks in his first 12 Major League games…has recorded 2+ hits in each of his last 3 games.
♦ Josh Rojas has hit safely in 7 straight games vs. Giants (since Sept. 25)…over his last 22 games vs. Giants, is hitting .352 (25-for-71) with 7 doubles, 1 homer, 9 RBI, 11 walks and 7 stolen bases.
FLETCHER IN THE HISTORY BOOKS
♦ Dominic Fletcher’s .462 average is the highest by a Dback in their first 12 games, ahead of Mark Reynolds (.442 in 2007), and his 13 RBI in the span are tied for the most (also: Reynolds/2007 and Álex Cabrera/2000).
♦ His .462 average is the highest by a NL player in their first 12 career games (min. 40 PA) and seventh highest in the Majors since 1900 [source: Elias Sports Bureau]:
PLAYER / LEAGUE AVG / PA YEAR TEAM GAMES
Tom Hughes / AL …………… .487 / 42 …….1930 ………. DET …………. 12
Patsy Dougherty / AL …….. .486 / 40 …….1902 ……….BOS …………. 12
Curtis Goodwin / AL ………. .478 / 50 …….1995 ……….BAL …………. 12
Craig Wilson / AL …………… .477 / 49 …….1998 ………CWS …………. 12
Bruce Bochte / AL ………….. .475 / 49 …….1974 ………. CAL …………. 12
Yermín Mercedes / AL ……. .465 / 47 …….2021 ………CWS …………. 12
Dominic Fletcher / NL….462 / 43 ….. 2023 ……….AZ……….. 12
♦ His 11 RBI this series are tied for the most by a D-back in a series of any length with Erubiel Durazo (May 16-19, 2002 vs. Phillies)…those with 10 RBI in a series include: Steve Finley (2x: 3 GM – May 31-June 2, 1999 @ Expos; Sept. 7-9, 1999 @ Brewers); Damion Easley (4 GM – June 1-4, 2006 @ Braves); Chris Owings (4 GM – April 24-27, 2017 vs. Padres) [source: Elias Sports Bureau].
KETEL ON A ROLL
♦ Ketel Marte has a 14-game on-base streak (since April 26) and hit safely in 8 straight games (since May 6)…in his last 14 games, has 1 double, 1 triple, 3 homers, 10 RBI, 9 walks and 1 hit-by-pitch.
SNAKEBITES
♦ Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has hit safely in 7 of his last 8 games, batting .481 (13-for-27) with 3 doubles, 4 homers, 11 runs, 7 RBI and 6 walks.
♦ Christian Walker’s 7 homers since April 21 lead the Majors while his 17 RBI are tied for second most (also: Adolis García/TEX and Jonah Heim/TEX).
OFFENSE AMONG THE BEST
♦ The D-backs rank in the Majors in average (2nd, .273), triples (2nd, 10), sac hits (2nd, 9), doubles (3rd, 81), strikeouts (4th fewest, 300) and stolen bases (9th, 32).
♦ Arizona’s 10 games with 12+ hits are tied for the most in the Majors (also: Red Sox and Cardinals).
THE ANSWER-BACKS DO IT AGAIN
♦ The D-backs’ 13 comeback wins are second most in the Majors, behind the Red Sox (14) and Orioles (14).
D-FENSE! D-FENSE!
♦ The D-backs are tied for the second in the Majors with a .991 fielding pct. (also: Mariners) and 13 errors (also: Mets, Mariners) behind the Padres (.992, 11).
♦ The D-backs’ 13 Outs Above Average (OAA) are tied for most in the Majors (also: Padres).
TODAY’S STARTER – RHP BRANDON PFAADT ♦ #32
AT A GLANCE: •D-backs fi fth-round pick in the 2020 draft out of Bellarmine University (2018-20), the school’s second-highest draft pick behind Todd Wellemeyer (4th/2000).
- The D-backs’ 2022 Minor League Pitcher of the Year led the organization in wins, ERA and strikeouts…went 11-7 with a 3.83 ERA (71 ER in 167.0 IP), 218 strikeouts and 1.16 WHIP in 29 starts at Double-A Amarillo and Triple-A Reno.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Is making his third career start, second @ Chase Field.
- Looking for his first Major League win.
- Entered the season rated as the D-backs’ No. 4 prospect by The Athletic (No. 38 overall) and MLB Pipeline (No. 59 overall) and No. 5 by Baseball America.
LAST START : Took the loss in his Chase Field debut on May 9
vs. Marlins (L; 6 ER in 5.0 IP).
VS. GIANTS: Is making his first career appearance.
RENO RECAP: Went 2-1 with a 3.91 ERA (11 ER in 25.1 IP), 30 strikeouts and 1.18 WHIP in 5 starts with the Aces.
- Ranked among Pacific Coast League leaders at the time of his promotion in strikeouts (T-1st), WHIP (2nd), ERA (5th), win percentage (5th, .667), opponent average (T-5th, .245) and innings pitched (10th).
DEBUT DETAILS: Was the fi rst D-backs starter to make his debut in 2023…in 2022, 3 starters made their MLB debuts: Tommy Henry on Aug. 3, Ryne Nelson on Sept. 5 and Drey Jameson on Sept. 15.
