The Arizona Diamondbacks snapped their road losing streak, but at what price?
Arizona Diamondbacks 10, San Diego Padres 1
[D’backs.com] For 1st time since April, D-backs win on road – On April 25, the D-backs swept the Braves in a seven-inning doubleheader at Truist Park. It was a day of celebration as Zac Gallen tossed a one-hitter in the first game and Madison Bumgarner did one better by tossing a seven-inning no-hitter in the second. The D-backs celebrated on the field after the final out that day. It was the end of a 7-3 road trip, and their record was 11-11. They were hopeful about the future. Little did they know, it would take 62 days before their next road win. The D-backs beat the Padres, 10-1, on Saturday night at Petco Park, snapping an MLB-record 24-game road losing streak.
[AZ Central] Diamondbacks find offense to support Merrill Kelly, end record 24-game road losing skid – It’s not that the Diamondbacks never lose when Merrill Kelly is on the mound, it’s that those are the only times they actually win. Five days after bringing an end to a club-record 17-game losing streak, Kelly helped the Diamondbacks stop their modern-day, major-league record 24-game road losing streak by tossing six scoreless innings against the San Diego Padres in a 10-1 win on Saturday night at Petco Park. “Winning is definitely more fun than losing, that’s for sure,” Kelly said. “It feels good. Obviously, this season has not been one we set out to play, but anytime we can end a streak like that, it obviously helps, not only for myself, but the morale and the camaraderie for the team, for sure.”
[Arizona Sports] D-backs end MLB-record 24-game road losing skid with rout of Padres – Arizona star Ketel Marte singled with one out in the first off Dinelson Lamet and then left the game. He has injured both hamstrings this year.
Around the League
[Yahoo Sports] 7 players to watch as MLB nears trade deadline – Ketel Marte, center fielder, Arizona Diamondbacks A .366 hitter with positional versatility on a last place team is the platonic idea of a trade deadline target. That’s what the Diamondbacks have in Marte, a poor defensive outfielder whose glove plays better in the infield, but whose switch-hitting bat is a seamless fit at the top of any lineup. Marte is a rare modern hitter who does not strike out often, and even though his home runs have disappeared, his maximum exit velocity still ranks in the 95th percentile of the league, per Statcast.
[Pirates.com] Kranick to make MLB debut Sunday vs. STL – One of the Pirates’ top prospects will make his Major League debut on Sunday at Busch Stadium. Max Kranick, the club’s No. 26 prospect per MLB Pipeline, will start for the Pirates on Sunday, manager Derek Shelton confirmed. Shelton said right-hander Geoff Hartlieb is expected to be the corresponding move for Kranick… Kranick, an 11th-round selection in the 2016 MLB Draft, has recorded a 4.37 ERA in seven starts split across Double-A and Triple-A this season. Those were his only starts at Double-A or higher; in ‘19, he spent the full season at then-High-A Bradenton, where he had a 3.79 ERA in 20 starts with 78 strikeouts to 30 walks. That command has improved in 2021, as he’s notched 36 strikeouts to nine walks in 35 innings.
[CBS Sports] Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. regains MLB lead in home runs as he continues to crush the first pitch – In the third inning of Saturday’s Baltimore Orioles–Toronto Blue Jays tilt in Buffalo, Jays MVP candidate/phenom Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his majors-leading 26th home run of the season… 403 feet to left center at the expense of a Keegan Akin first-pitch changeup. Guerrero Jr. has now homered in three straight games, and he’s gone yard in four of his last seven games. At this writing, the 22-year-old boasts a 2021 slash line of .341/.444/.685.
[NBC Sports] Braves’ Soroka tears Achilles tendon again, lost for season – Atlanta Braves right-hander Mike Soroka is facing season-ending surgery after again tearing his right Achilles tendon. The Braves said Saturday Soroka suffered the new tear on Thursday while walking to the clubhouse at Truist Park, where he was continuing his rehabilitation while the team is at Cincinnati. “It was his first day out of the boot,” manager Brian Snitker said before Saturday’s game at Great American Ball Park. “He was just walking. I hate it for him. All signs were a go, until he took that step and felt that pop.” Soroka now faces his third surgery on the Achilles. The team says the procedure will be scheduled within a week. There was no timetable for Soroka’s return prior to this latest setback, although Snitker said he was hopeful that he could return by the end of this season. Soroka had not yet started throwing off the mound.