Arizona Diamondbacks win streak hits nine

During their current nine-game winning streak, the Arizona Diamondbacks have scored in the first inning in five consecutive games.

Stumbling for five weeks after the All-Star game, the Arizona Diamondbacks knew this was not the same team which previously appeared in the mirror.

Utilizing the power and timely hitting of Paul Goldschmidt and Jake Lamb, the Diamondbacks quickly gained separation from several competitive clubs, and by early July, challenged the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the National League West Division.

Then, the guillotine.

Not quite that bad, but getting swept at Dodger Stadium early in July acted as a catalyst for an uncharacteristic free-fall. Soon, the Diamondbacks fell behind the Dodgers by double-digit games in the NL West, and dropped into the second Wild Card slot in the NL behind the Colorado Rockies. Knowing the experience was a mere aberration, the Diamondbacks quickly recovered from the doldrums of mid-July to mid-August and, during recent weeks, demonstrated a resurgence of power and determination.

Coming into play Sunday in Coors Field against the Rockies, the Diamondbacks are riding a nine-game winning streak, and that was their longest since 2011, the year they captured the NL West title. Since falling behind in a game against the San Francisco Giants on August 25, the Diamondbacks have now lead in games for 52 straight innings. That is the third-highest in the majors since 1920.

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Two factors have fueled this surge.

First, the starting pitching has been strong with lefty Patrick Corbin winning five straight, Robbie Ray turning in two stellar starts after coming off the DL with a concussion and Zack Greinke continuing to deal a hot hand, especially at home. At Chase Field his season, Greinke is 13-1 and was the first pitcher this season in the majors to win 16 games.

Plus, the bullpen has been slamming the door. Set-up reliever Archie Bradley (3-2, 1.29 ERA) has emerged as one of the most dependable in the game. Closer Fernando Rodney, once thought to be on first plane out of the desert during the opening weeks of the season, now has 34 saves, and that’s only two back of the Rockies’ Greg Holland and the Dodgers’ Kenley Jansen, who are tied for the NL lead.

Then, there’s the offense.

In their previous five games prior to Sunday, the Diamondbacks scored at least one run in the first inning in each of the five games. That enables the team to play, in the phrase which manager Torey Lovullo uses frequently “downhill baseball,” and give starters an opportunity to challenge opposing hitters early in both the count and in the game.

With the nine-game winning streak, the Diamondbacks surged to 20 games over .500, and only the Dodgers, Nationals and Astros have better records.

Next: Astros postseason frame of mind

At this point, the only reality Lovullo acknowledges is that his team remains in contention for a wild card spot. Granted, there is nearly a month to play and there have been some epic collapses through the years.

Given recent production of the starting pitching and the push which MVP candidate Goldschmidt gives his club, the Diamondbacks may not be one of those teams who became an ominous footnote in the history of the game.