Arizona Diamondbacks: What were the reasons for terrible May?
By Kyle Cardoza
The Arizona Diamondbacks looked like the team to beat in the National League after the first month of the season. But after a horrific May, they look more like pretenders than contenders. Why was May such an off month for the club?
It seemed like a runaway division for the Arizona Diamondbacks. After April, Torey Lovullo’s club sat atop the National League West by a handful of games.
But now the rest of the division caught up – Arizona’s lead dwindled down to one as of Tuesday night. And at this point, the West is wide open, even for the last-place Padres.
Teams can partially thank the Diamondbacks for that.
Arizona suffered a depressing month of May, owning an 8-19 record in that span. The Diamondbacks went from 13 games above .500 to just one game above the line by June 1.
One critical aspect wasn’t involved – many were. As a team, everything that clicked during the season’s opening month diminished.
Hitters struggled mightily, while pitchers allowed more hits and runs. Key injuries occurred, and the team’s advantage during April ultimately became its downfall in May.
However, much like the rest of the NL West, Arizona should be grateful. Even after a month-long catastrophe, they remain atop the division.
Moreover, it was surprising to most fans. The Diamondbacks possess arguably one of the more complete squads in the entire NL. Of course, that’s if they’re healthy.
Since Lovullo took over as skipper, it’s the team’s worst record over the span of a month. Prior to his arrival, Arizona owned a 7-17 record in July 2016. Despite that shoddy comparison, this year’s team seems much more talented than the roster from two years ago.
And now the Diamondbacks have an opportunity to prove it – with a bounce-back. But to determine how to improve, the club must understand what went wrong.
Here are just a few observations.