Diamondbacks Will Need to Get Their Run Game Started on Aaron Nola

After getting shut down in Game 1, the Diamondbacks will need to utilize their speed in a big Game 2 against Aaron Nola and the Phillies.

The Diamondbacks were never able to get their run game going against Zack Wheeler in Game 1 of the National League Championship. That was true for two reasons, as Wheeler is a tough pitcher to run on as he's only allowed three stolen bases in seven attempts and the D-backs only had two runners reach first base. The defining moment for that came in the first inning, where Corbin Carroll reached to lead off the game but stayed put. 

"Wheeler did a good job" said manager Torey Lovullo. "He was mixing up his looks. Set-go, set-set-go, go. Whatever it was, he did a really nice job of getting the ball to his catcher, which was preventing us from getting a really good consistent look at him."

Before the series, Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto admitted the team wasn't doing a good job of slowing down the running game. It had gotten to the point where it was costing them games as recent as September, so their pitchers went to work on varying their times instead of falling into a pattern.

For Game 2, the D-backs will need to be able to put that type of offensive pressure on Aaron Nola. Nola is more vulnerable to the stolen base than Wheeler, allowing 21 steals in 26 attempts. It starts with being able to put more traffic on the bases to give themselves more opportunities to steal and add a level of distraction the Phillies didn't have to deal with last night.

The D-backs will need to pick the right times for when to go, as outs come at even more a premium in the postseason. Making an out on the bases risks the potential for a momentum-flipping play for Philadelphia, but a successful steal that leads to a run also can have the same effect for Arizona.

"It's a seven-game series for the NLCS, and every out is critical, but we are a very risk-friendly team when it comes to taking chances" said Lovullo. "We will take the right chances at the right times. We just haven't had the great opportunities, because teams are counter-punching us right now. We have to be careful."