Torey Lovullo on Lineup Construction, and Bleeding Sedona Red
As noted in the game preview, tonight's D-backs lineup features Kyle Lewis leading off and a bevy of right handed veteran hitters near the top of the order. Torey Lovullo made clear that platooning and trying to create the right matchups is going to dictate how he writes the batting order.
"I feel like it's going to be the most opportunistic version of a team that can face that type of pitcher and help us score runs and not get counter punched or matched up too much. It's no mystery that we do pinch hit, we try to create matchups."
"I know we've got to matchup as best as we possibly can against Urías, and that's the reason for the lineup construction tonight."
Lovullo also talked about what he liked about Kyle Lewis in the leadoff spot, which is primarily about good plate discipline, on base percentage, and power.
"I don't think he backs down from any challenge, I don't think he backs down from any opportunity to impact the baseball. And he controls the zone. He's not coming off of his game plan."
Corbin Carroll is down at seventh spot in the order against the lefty Urías. Lovullo indicated that even if a righty is getting the start for the other team that might not mean Carroll is installed at the top of the order. He seemed to want to give him more time to settle in before putting the added responsibilities and pressures of hitting at the top in major league games. Creating soft landings for young players has been a stable of the Diamondbacks management style for a long time.
"It's a big ask to put somebody up that high in the lineup and expect him to excel from day one. I want to be sensitive to that. I think he can handle it but I just want to take some time"
Lovullo indicated that after 100 innings on defense or 60 at bats they start to hone in on their evaluation of where a player's season is heading, but emphasized it's not about results. "It's not going to be if player A is hitting .320 he's going to jump up in the lineup....it's just a matter of us seeing the progression, producing good swings, making good swing decisions, throwing strikes, controlling the zones. Those are the things we look at inside the games. Results obviously are very important, but I think early on we'll look at the process and how they're getting there."
Lovullo talked openly about the emotion of opening day, and relayed that he came to at least a dozen opening days as a kid growing up in L.A. (His parents were season ticket holders). Of course (I feel emotional)...I grew up here, in my family baseball equaled love, it was a wonderful connection that I had with my Mom and Dad. So I think a lot about them today. But once the game starts, it's on. I'm bleeding Sedona Red, and it's as red as it can be"
Listen to the full audio down below
