Indians at Diamondbacks
As if it isn't enough the Arizona Diamondbacks have been the majors' best offense by a wide margin through the first week of the season, they have done so by starting games out about as slowly as any team can. The Diamondbacks hope to make life a bit easier on themselves by notching a victory in which they don't need a rally Sunday when they attempt to complete a three-game sweep of the visiting Cleveland Indians.
Arizona has scored at least eight runs in each contest during its four-game winning streak and leads the majors with a .322 team batting average - 29 points better than the Washington Nationals - and 45 runs scored - 14 more than the Philadelphia Phillies. The Diamondbacks, who have come back from a deficit in each of their five victories, have managed to post their gaudy marks despite hitting .188 and scoring a single run through three innings in their six contests this season. Arizona's potent middle- and late-inning offense was on full display in Saturday's 11-2 rout of the Indians, scoring all of its runs after the fourth inning, including a four-run outburst in the sixth and a six-run surge in the eighth. The Indians haven't exactly put up much of a fight this weekend after scoring 21 runs in a season-opening road sweep of the Texas Rangers, however, going 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position and totaling five runs at Chase Field.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), FSN Arizona
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Corey Kluber (0-0, 7.50 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks LH Patrick Corbin (0-1, 4.50)
Kluber labored through 109 pitches in a no-decision Monday against Texas, surrendering three homers among the five runs, six hits and three walks he allowed in six frames to the Rangers. The 2014 American League Cy Young Award winner may have been hindered by a blister and callus on his middle and index fingers, although he didn't fare much better in the spring either (1-1, 6.17 ERA). Kluber was dominant in his only career start against Arizona in 2014, earning the victory after allowing four hits and fanning eight in seven scoreless frames.
Corbin failed to carry over a strong showing during exhibition play into his season debut Tuesday against San Francisco, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks across four innings. The 27-year-old, who struggled to a 5-13 mark and 5.15 ERA in 2016, won a rotation spot after going 2-1, 3.44 in the spring while posting a 17:3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 18 1/3 frames. Corbin has never faced the Indians and hasn't been overly successful in nine interleague appearances (eight starts), going 2-4 with a 5.00 ERA.
WALK-OFFS
1. Arizona's 45 runs through six games is a team record over that span. Over half of those runs have come in the fifth (11) and sixth (13) innings combined.
2. Cleveland 1B Edwin Encarnacion is in the midst of a 1-for-15 slump over his last four games after going 2-for-5 with a homer on Opening Day against the Rangers.
3. Diamondbacks RF Jeremy Hazelbaker is 6-for-6 (all singles) in 2017 after going 3-for-3 Saturday. He is the first player to reach safely in eight consecutive plate appearances to begin the season since Ramon Hernandez in 2006.