Corbin Carroll Moved to Leadoff Spot in Lineup

When the Diamondbacks take on the Dodgers tonight at Chase Field at 6:40 P.M. they'll do so with a slightly different look to the lineup. Torey Lovullo has installed Corbin Carroll to the leadoff spot in the order and moved Geraldo Perdomo back down to the ninth spot where he had more success earlier in the season.

Lineups

During today's press conference Lovullo said "I just want to mix some things up today. It's a totally different look in the lineup for a couple guys. It's my job to be creative. We haven't been doing a lot in the last month. If I can jump start something different, I will. This one I might commit to for a while. I want to see what this looks like."

Carroll's ability to draw a walk and steal bases seem especially well suited to the leadoff spot in the order. It remains to be seen if he stays there against left hand pitchers.

Doing the little things right

Lovullo also spoke in no uncertain terms about his displeasure with a specific play last night. Max Muncy hit a shallow fly ball to center with runners on first and third. Lourdes Gurriel cut off Corbin Carroll and threw home the throw going wide and getting past Carson Kelly, allowing the runner on first to get to second. There was no cut off man in place, neither Nick Ahmed or Christian Walker got anywhere in a position to make a cut. Brandon Pfaadt was jogging to back up home and didn't get deep behind the plate. It almost looked like a four corners defense with no rhyme or reason.

"When you talk about things that piss me off that is one of them. That is one that is unacceptable. Because that is effort related and focus related. That means being in the right place at the right time. We have covered that a thousand times."

Lovullo of course gets bothered when players strikeout in key situations or throw the wrong pitch. But this situation clearly made him as publicly upset as we see ever see him.

"Nothing bothers me more when we're not in the right place and doing the wrong things" he said. "We've done that a lot lately, and that's on me. It's on the coaches too. If we throw a strike there the runner is out by 15 feet, but we didn't. Not only that but a couple guys were out of position."

Pitching Matchup

Bobby Miller, RHP, 6-2, 4.26 ERA in 12 starts, 63 IP goes the Dodgers tonight. The rookie right hander made quite the splash when he was first called up, giving up just two earned runs in his first four starts, 23 innings. He throws both a sinker and four seam, averaging 99 MPH with each. He also has a slider, a changeup and a curveball, and uses all five pitches liberally. The curve and change have been very effective against left hand batters, leading to a reverse split. Right hand batters hit .290 with a .745 OPS, but left hand batters are hitting just .207 with a .680 OPS.

He blew up in his next two starts after that start however, giving up 13 runs in 10 innings. Since then he's bee decent but unspectacular, going 3-1 and throwing 30 innings in six stars, pitching to a 4.40 ERA over that recent span. He's probably been a bit unlucky overall, as he's only walked 17 while striking out 62, and given up six homers. That's added up to a 3.54 FIP (Fielding Independent pitching) which 0.69 runs lower than his ERA.

Merrill Kelly, 9-5, 3.21 ERA in 19 starts, 112 IP will face his main nemesis in the team from LA. For his career he's 0-10 in 14 career starts with a 5.45 ERA, including a 4.74 ERA in seven Chase field starts vs. the Dodgers. There is no way to sugar coat it, they have his number, and have since the beginning of his career with the Diamondbacks. Not the ideal circumstances to try to break a seven game losing streak.