Going for .400 - again: Votto in the midst of historic stretch
PHOENIX -- Are you ready for some offense?
Arizona and Cincinnati are in the top half of the National League in run production, and they have the two of the three highest team ERA in the majors.
Throw in a ballpark that usually plays small, and the conditions seem ripe.
Although the Diamondbacks were two-hit in a 3-1 loss to Atlanta on Thursday, they had 23 runs and 39 hits in the first three games while splitting the four-game series. Arizona is fifth in the NL with 585 runs, has 145 home runs and leads the majors with a franchise-record 49 triples. The ball travels well here, and the outfield is large, angling out to 413 feet in left- and right-center.
At the same time, the D-backs' staff ERA is 5.15.
The Reds pitched much better since assistant pitching/bullpen coach Mack Jenkins was promoted to pitching coach on July 4, but they remain 28th in the majors with 4.97 ERA. The Reds have scored 565 runs and hit 134 homers.
Manager Bryan Price's Reds are 22-15 since the All-Star break, the second-best record in the NL, and have won six of their last nine. They had a five-game winning streak during that run, their longest since July, 2014.
Cincinnati left-hander Brandon Finnegan will make his 26th start of the season against the D-backs in the first game of the series Friday, while Arizona will start rookie right-hander Braden Shipley.
Shipley, Arizona's first-round pick in the 2013 draft, will be making his seventh major league start after being promoted in late July. He is 2-3 with a 5.45 ERA.
Finnegan, 8-9 with a 4.32 ERA, has made 13 quality starts and has been the victim of four blown saves. He was one of the young left-handers Cincinnati identified and acquired in the trade that sent Johnny Cueto to the eventual World Series champion Kansas City Royals at the trade deadline last year.
He has twice taken no-hitters into the seventh inning this season, something the Diamondbacks saw Thursday when Atlanta right-hander Matt Wisler did not allow a hit until Paul Goldschmidt singled to open the seventh inning.
First basemen drive these teams, with a little help from their friends.
Goldschmidt had two three-hit games and drove in four runs in the Atlanta series, and his walkout homer won Monday's game, 9-8. That home was his second since July 24, a span of 130 plate appearances, and he hit another Wednesday. He is slashing .304/.421/.505 with 27 doubles, 20 homers, 20 stolen bases and 78 RBIs. He is the third first baseman since 1974 with back-to-back 20 homer/20 stolen base seasons, joining Jeff Bagwell and Ryan Klesko.
"I never sensed a frustration about not hitting home runs," Arizona manager Chip Hale said. "Ever. That's one thing he's never, ever made a big deal about. I sense frustration just about going through a little bit of struggles here and there and he wants to be the guy to get us out of problems. He's such good teammate, he wants to be that leader."
Cincinnati first baseman Joey Votto, hitting .213 through May, leads the majors with a .444 batting average and a .538 on-base percentage and is second with a .690 slugging percentage since the All-Star break. He hit .419 in July and .438 in August. With six games remaining in August, Votto is attempting to become the first major league since 2010 and the first Reds player since 1900 to hit at least .400 in consecutive months. Josh Hamilton hit .454 in June and .418 in July 2010 with Texas.
