Toronto @ Arizona preview
Chase Field
The clubhouse attendant in charge of mudding up the baseballs before games at Chase Field might want to make sure there are a few extra cases of Rawlings balls in the umpires’ room the next three days.
The three-game series between Toronto and Arizona, which gets underway tonight at Chase Field, features the top home run-hitting team in each league.
The Blue Jays lead the American League with 67 homers and the Diamondbacks have bashed 54 to pace the National League.
The Blue Jays’ power surge has been brought on by a sizzling start by outfielder/third baseman Jose Bautista and the resurgence of shortstop Alex Gonzalez and outfielder Vernon Wells.
Bautista, who once played on four teams in one season, hit his 12th of the year on Thursday and is just four off his career high.
Wells is hitting .301 with 11 home runs and appears to be back on track after not producing over the last three seasons. He hasn’t come close to matching his career season of 2006 when he hit .303 with 32 home runs and 106 RBIs.
Gonzalez, who has 10 long balls, is on pace for more than 30 home runs, which is a big jump for someone who hit eight last season in 112 games and has topped more than 20 just once in 12 previous seasons.
Attempting to slow down Toronto will be Diamondbacks right-hander Dan Haren, who has been the most inconsistent – and hittable – in his tenure with the organization. He is 4-3 with an ERA of 4.83.
Opposing him is right-hander Brandon Morrow, who is 3-3 with a 6.15 ERA in his first season in Toronto and as a full-time starter. Take away two starts in which he gave up 13 earned runs in 5 2/3 innings and Morrow hasn’t been that bad.
But if he has an off day, it could be bombs away by the Diamondbacks.
Arizona’s offense is led by Kelly Johnson, who was named the NL Player of the Month in April. The second baseman has 12 home runs after hitting just eight last seasons with Atlanta. He just four shy of his career-high 16.
Mark Reynolds, who took Tim Lincecum deep Thursday, is the other D’back in double digits with 11, showing last season’s total of 44 could become the norm for the third baseman.