Diamondbacks vs. Brewers Game Preview September 3rd
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Brewers @ Diamondbacks, September 3rd, 5:10 P.M. Chase Field
STARTING LINEUPS
Jack Sommers
Madison Bumgarner will try once again tonight to recover his lost form, this time against the Milwaukee Brewers. It's been a difficult season for the former ace and World Series hero. He comes into the game with a 6-13 record and a 4.87 ERA
Through his first 7 starts of the year Bumgarner had a 1.78 ERA, but his FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) was much higher at 4.70, indicating that he wasn't pitching as well as the ERA seemed to indicate. Since then it's been a long downward slide that culminated in him being skipped in the rotation prior to his last start.
Skipping him did not achieve the desired result however, as he was tagged for 7 runs on 11 hits in just 3.2 IP against the Phillies on August 29th.
Prior to tonight's game pitching coach Brent Strom addressed the Media and discussed Bumgarner's struggles at length. Strom was emphatic in describing Bumgarner's issues as command and not "stuff" related. Bumgarner's velocity is only one mile per hour slower than it was in 2015. However he has been missing inside the zone and unable to stay on the black and outside of the middle of the strike zone, resulting in a lot of hard contact. Strom has been working with Bumgarner on tempo and rhythm, believing changes in those areas are what is keeping the pitcher from getting to the proper arm slot.
However when pressed on the velocity question Strom acknowledged that sometimes a pitcher is putting forth extra or even maximum effort in order to forestall velocity loss, and that can result in loss of command as well.
Whatever the reasons are for his downturn in fortunes, it's crucial for the Diamondbacks that Bumgarner finds an answer so as not to stall the momentum the team is riding at the moment. Arizona has won 7 of their last 8 games in their surge towards a .500 record.
The D-backs will face 2021 Cy Young Winner Corbin Burnes who is 9-6, with a 2.84 ERA, and leads MLB with 195 strikeouts. Bumgarner's margin for error could be very small indeed tonight.
