Colorado @ Arizona preview
Chase Field
Last Meeting ( Jun 5, 2010 ) Colorado 3, Arizona 4
Kelly Johnson just might be finding his April form.
The Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman made a huge splash in his first month with his new team, getting named the National League Player of the Month for April.
But it wasn’t long before Johnson’s torrid pace cooled off as May hit its midpoint. He was 7-for-41 and his average went from .313 to .253 at one point. He stared to come out of it with a four-hit game on May 30 and followed with two more knocks against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but then his defense hit a snag.
His two errors on one play were costly in a loss to Los Angeles on Monday, and his error Friday night led to a three-run inning for Colorado before the Diamondbacks rallied for a 7-6 win.
In other words, Johnson – other than bonus of newfound power – is following the flow chart of his major league career, all spent with Atlanta.
He is a streaky hitter who plays his heart out and will have some defensive lapses in critical situations.
The Diamondbacks have been happy with the production, and it appears he might ready for another offensive tear. Since May 29, Johnson has gone 9-for-27 (.333) but the power stroke is not as prominent, as he is homerless in his last 14 games after hitting 12 in his first 39 games.
Arizona’s leadoff hitter will need to stay hot heading into today’s matchup with the Rockies at Chase Field. Colorado attempts to stave off a series sweep by sending out right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez, who is 10-1 with a 0.78 ERA.
Jimenez’s early-season rise to the leading candidate for the NL Cy Young all relates to his control. Prior to this season, Jimenez averaged between 3.5 to 4.7 walks per nine innings as he struggled to rein in his command.
Now he has control – his walk average is down to 2.9 – to go along with his 100-mph fastball and 87-mph sliders and changeups.
Unless Jimenez has his first bad start of the season, the Diamondbacks’ Rodrigo Lopez is going to need to be at his best.
Or at the very least duplicate his last start.
Lopez (2-3, 4.31) ended up with a no-decision against the Dodgers last time out when Johnson’s ill-fated error changed the game, but it was through no fault of his own after he allowed two earned in eight innings.