• Chris Iannetta on his career-high 7 RBIs vs. Padres

    Chris Iannetta on his career-high 7 RBIs vs. Padres

  • Patrick Corbin on his effectiveness vs. Padres

    Patrick Corbin on his effectiveness vs. Padres

  • Chris Owings on Diamondbacks' offensive production with two outs

    Chris Owings on Diamondbacks’ offensive production with two outs

  • Arizona Diamondbacks vs. San Diego Padres -- June 8, 2017

    Arizona Diamondbacks vs. San Diego Padres — June 8, 2017

  • Greinke on his 'all right' outing in D-Backs' win

    Greinke on his ‘all right’ outing in D-Backs’ win

  • Lamb on big performance in D-Backs' win

    Lamb on big performance in D-Backs’ win

  • D-Backs beat Padres for another home win

    D-Backs beat Padres for another home win

  • Shot Clock: D-Backs train rolling; Durant new No. 1?

    Shot Clock: D-Backs train rolling; Durant new No. 1?

  • MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on rift between D-Backs, Maricopa County

    MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on rift between D-Backs, Maricopa County

  • D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo on no-hitter, road struggles

    D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo on no-hitter, road struggles

  • Chris Herrmann on Edinson Volquez's performance in no-hitter

    Chris Herrmann on Edinson Volquez’s performance in no-hitter

  • D-Backs' Rey Fuentes on Edinson Volquez's pitch mix in no-hitter

    D-Backs’ Rey Fuentes on Edinson Volquez’s pitch mix in no-hitter

  • Patrick Corbin after loss to Marlins

    Patrick Corbin after loss to Marlins

  • Torey Lovullo on Patrick Corbin's outing vs. Marlins

    Torey Lovullo on Patrick Corbin’s outing vs. Marlins

  • Torey Lovullo on Nick Ahmed, comeback win over Marlins

    Torey Lovullo on Nick Ahmed, comeback win over Marlins

  • David Peralta talks about Chris Owings' 'clutch' hit vs. Pirates

    David Peralta talks about Chris Owings’ ‘clutch’ hit vs. Pirates

  • Chris Owings on D-Backs' extra-inning win in Pittsburgh

    Chris Owings on D-Backs’ extra-inning win in Pittsburgh

  • Torey Lovullo on 'character win' in Pittsburgh

    Torey Lovullo on ‘character win’ in Pittsburgh

  • Robbie Ray on postgame celebration after shutout vs. Pirates

    Robbie Ray on postgame celebration after shutout vs. Pirates

  • Torey Lovullo on Robbie Ray's shutout of Pirates

    Torey Lovullo on Robbie Ray’s shutout of Pirates

  • Chris Herrmann on Robbie Ray's 'outstanding' outing vs. Pirates

    Chris Herrmann on Robbie Ray’s ‘outstanding’ outing vs. Pirates

  • Shot Clock: Winless weekend with D-Backs

    Shot Clock: Winless weekend with D-Backs

  • Diamondbacks' Chris Iannetta on his latest clutch homer

    Diamondbacks’ Chris Iannetta on his latest clutch homer

  • Torey Lovullo on Diamondbacks' loss to the Pirates

    Torey Lovullo on Diamondbacks’ loss to the Pirates

  • Archie Bradley after walkoff loss to Pirates

    Archie Bradley after walkoff loss to Pirates

  • Torey Lovullo on Patrick Corbin's outing, loss to Brewers

    Torey Lovullo on Patrick Corbin’s outing, loss to Brewers

  • Patrick Corbin on his outing vs. Brewers

    Patrick Corbin on his outing vs. Brewers

  • Zack Greinke on his outing in loss to Brewers

    Zack Greinke on his outing in loss to Brewers

  • Torey Lovullo on loss to Brewers, Chase Anderson

    Torey Lovullo on loss to Brewers, Chase Anderson

  • Paul Goldschmidt talks about Chase Anderson's outing

    Paul Goldschmidt talks about Chase Anderson’s outing

  • Torey Lovullo on D-Backs' comeback win in MIlwaukee

    Torey Lovullo on D-Backs’ comeback win in MIlwaukee

  • Chris Iannetta on his game-tying homer vs. Brewers

    Chris Iannetta on his game-tying homer vs. Brewers

  • Can D-Backs keep this up? Why, why not

    Can D-Backs keep this up? Why, why not

  • Robbie Ray after dominant outing in Milwaukee

    Robbie Ray after dominant outing in Milwaukee

  • D-Backs' Torey Lovullo on impressive win over Brewers

    D-Backs’ Torey Lovullo on impressive win over Brewers

  • Torey Lovullo on 'nice team win' for D-Backs

    Torey Lovullo on ‘nice team win’ for D-Backs

  • Jake Lamb on strong game against lefty Jose Quintana

    Jake Lamb on strong game against lefty Jose Quintana

  • Chris Herrmann on hitting surge, HR in win

    Chris Herrmann on hitting surge, HR in win

  • Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Archie Bradley competes in cow milking competition

    Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Archie Bradley competes in cow milking competition

  • Shelby Miller: Tommy John surgery 'was a pretty smooth process'

    Shelby Miller: Tommy John surgery ‘was a pretty smooth process’

  • Shot Clock: Time to take D-Backs seriously

    Shot Clock: Time to take D-Backs seriously

  • Zack Greinke on near-complete game, Eephus pitch

    Zack Greinke on near-complete game, Eephus pitch

  • Torey Lovullo on Zack Greinke's 'great night'

    Torey Lovullo on Zack Greinke’s ‘great night’

  • Montini volunteers free tickets - with Bickley's help

    Montini volunteers free tickets – with Bickley’s help

  • D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo on loss vs. Padres

    D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo on loss vs. Padres

  • Chris Iannetta on homering in first game off DL

    Chris Iannetta on homering in first game off DL

  • Zack Godley on his outing vs. Padres

    Zack Godley on his outing vs. Padres

  • Torey Lovullo after D-Backs pound Padres 9-1

    Torey Lovullo after D-Backs pound Padres 9-1

  • Torey Lovullo on D-Backs' blowout win vs. Padres

    Torey Lovullo on D-Backs’ blowout win vs. Padres

  • Taijuan Walker tosses six scoreless vs. Padres

    Taijuan Walker tosses six scoreless vs. Padres

  • Brandon Drury homers in win vs. Padres

    Brandon Drury homers in win vs. Padres

  • Watch out for Dodgers; Cards CBs apply for job

    Watch out for Dodgers; Cards CBs apply for job

  • Diamondbacks outlast Mets in extra innings

    Diamondbacks outlast Mets in extra innings

  • Diamondbacks discuss close win over Mets

    Diamondbacks discuss close win over Mets

  • Diamondbacks' Zack Godley talks after win over Mets

    Diamondbacks’ Zack Godley talks after win over Mets

  • Diamondbacks' Torey Lovullo talks upbeat pace in win over Mets

    Diamondbacks’ Torey Lovullo talks upbeat pace in win over Mets

  • A.J. Pollock discusses his injury after loss to Pirates

    A.J. Pollock discusses his injury after loss to Pirates

  • David Peralta downplays his injury vs. Pirates

    David Peralta downplays his injury vs. Pirates

  • Torey Lovullo on injuries, loss vs. Pirates

    Torey Lovullo on injuries, loss vs. Pirates

  • Chris Iannetta talks about scary HBP vs. Pirates

    Chris Iannetta talks about scary HBP vs. Pirates

  • Diamondbacks rally falls short against Pirates

    Diamondbacks rally falls short against Pirates

  • Lovullo: Iannetta "said he could play tonight if he had to" after HBP

    Lovullo: Iannetta “said he could play tonight if he had to” after HBP

  • Diamondbacks overwhelm Pirates 11-4

    Diamondbacks overwhelm Pirates 11-4

  • Kaepernick blackballed? Greinke now trade bait?

    Kaepernick blackballed? Greinke now trade bait?

  • Zack Greinke on his near no-hitter against Pirates

    Zack Greinke on his near no-hitter against Pirates

  • Lovullo reacts to Greinke's near no-hitter in win

    Lovullo reacts to Greinke’s near no-hitter in win

  • Diamondbacks snap losing streak with win over Tigers

    Diamondbacks snap losing streak with win over Tigers

  • Diamondbacks drop third straight with loss to Tigers

    Diamondbacks drop third straight with loss to Tigers

  • Shot Clock: D-Backs face pivotal homestand

    Shot Clock: D-Backs face pivotal homestand

  • Torey Lovullo after D-Backs' latest loss to Rockies

    Torey Lovullo after D-Backs’ latest loss to Rockies

  • Taijuan Walker after loss to Rockies

    Taijuan Walker after loss to Rockies

  • Patrick Corbin after being roughed up by Rockies

    Patrick Corbin after being roughed up by Rockies

  • D-Backs' Torey Lovullo on 'tough night' at Coors Field

    D-Backs’ Torey Lovullo on ‘tough night’ at Coors Field

  • Zack Greinke on impressive outing vs. Rockies

    Zack Greinke on impressive outing vs. Rockies

  • Manager Torey Lovullo after win over Rockies

    Manager Torey Lovullo after win over Rockies

Diamondbacks catcher Chris Iannetta sits in front of his locker with his legs wide and his back arched as he speaks intently about the intricacies of his position.

In a few hours, he’ll take the field and play the role of offensive catalyst with a career-high seven RBIs in the Diamondbacks’ 15-3 win over the Padres Thursday.

But for now, he’s all but crouched into a defensive posture as he discusses the art of pitch framing, a skill that’s giving Arizona hurlers an advantage as they fight to keep pace with the Rockies and Dodgers in the NL West. As manager Torey Lovullo said this week, pitch framing is “a huge part of where we are.”

Catchers control the game, and Iannetta’s body language, speech and stare give the impression of a man in charge. Advanced defensive statistics, meanwhile, show he’s earned that bearing.

Iannetta, who got the start Thursday afternoon in the series finale against San Diego, and fellow catcher Jeff Mathis are among the major-league leaders in framing, the art of creating strikes, according to data tracking websites.

MORE: RBI leader Jake Lamb delivers for Diamondbacks

It’s not a new concept. Players have been working to influence umpires since Abner Doubleday hit into a double play. (Yes, that’s hyperbole, please don’t write a letter to the editor.) But in the analytics era, stats can reflect a player’s effectiveness.

It starts with the assumption that if a pitcher hits his catcher’s target, the result will be a strike.

But catching a ball that’s low and outside and jerking it up and into the strike zone isn’t going to fool anyone, much less a major-league ump.

Iannetta, who has improved greatly in this area, explains that it’s more about helping the man behind him accurately see where a pitch came in. He breaks it down to body positioning, receiving the ball and staying composed.

He says that if a catcher sets up too far behind the hitter, a pitch will drop and look low, even if it came over the plate in the zone.

Another aspect, he says, is catching the ball and holding it in place, rather than following its momentum to the left or right. He reaches out a thick, left forearm to demonstrate, saying a catcher should be strong and keep the ball in place after it hits his glove.

Finally, he says, keeping the body “quiet” shows that a ball came in as expected. Big jumps and exaggerated movements make pitches seem off target.

Iannetta ranked near the bottom of framing stats in 2014. This season, he’s in the top 15, according to Baseball Prospectus. Mathis, meanwhile, is in the top 10.

Last season, according to StatCorner, Iannetta landed at No. 11, and Mathis came in ninth.

BICKLEY: Baseball needs more personalities

“It’s a huge thing that has been addressed in baseball, and it can be recognized now,” Lovullo said. “Whereas it might have taken a coach a year to say, ‘Hey, look, he does a really good job handling pitches on the outer half of the plate.’ We can see that at the end of the game. We identified these two guys, their areas of strength, and I give them a lot of credit.”

Thanks in part to Iannetta and Mathis, Diamondbacks pitchers rank third in team ERA and strikeouts and fourth in opponents’ batting average.

Framing played a factor in getting Arizona starter Patrick Corbin out of potential trouble early Thursday. After allowing two runs in the first, the left-hander gave up a two-out double to Jose Pirela in the second inning. Then he struck out Yangervis Solarte looking at a fastball inside.

MORE: Torey Lovullo keeps pushing all the right buttons for the D-Backs

Lovullo said Corbin deserves credit for locating the pitch, but Iannetta “did his job” with proper positioning.

For his part, Corbin said he hit the target, and “when you hit those spots, more so than not, you’ll get the call.”

Iannetta’s offense, however, stole the attention.

Playing a hunch, Lovullo moved him to the second spot in the lineup, and when Iannetta came up in the bottom of the fifth, the Diamondbacks were down 3-2. Iannetta had grounded out to third base on each of his first two at-bats, but this time he pulled a two-run homer to left to take the lead.

The Diamondbacks wouldn’t trail again, extending the advantage with six runs in the sixth inning, aided by Iannetta’s bases-loaded double.

By the time he stepped to the plate in the eighth, the score was 11-3, but he smacked another double for two more runs, capping his career day.

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Friday’s game

Brewers at Diamondbacks

When: 6:40 p.m.

Where: Chase Field (Roof hotline: 602-462-6262).

Pitchers: Diamondbacks RHP Randall Delgado (1-1, 3.24) vs. Brewers RHP Zach Davies (6-3, 4.69).

TV/Radio: FSAZ, FSAZ+/KMVP-FM (98.7), KHOV-FM (105.1).

Delgado gave up one run in 5 1/3 innings against the Marlins on Saturday in Miami, taking the loss on the other side of RHP Edinson Volquez’s no-hitter. … It was the third consecutive start in which Delgado threw well; he’s given up three earned runs in 15 innings, with two walks and 15 strikes, and has cemented himself in the rotation for the time being. … Delgado is using his change-up 25 percent of the time, his highest percentage since 2013. … Davies gave up home runs to CF Gregor Blanco and SS Chris Owings when he faced the Diamondbacks on May 25, allowing three runs in six innings. … He threw well his last time out, tossing six scoreless innings, and has a 3.09 in eight starts since April 25.

Coming up

Saturday: At Chase Field, 7:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zack Godley (1-1, 2.39) vs. Brewers RHP Junior Guerra (1-0, 1.83).

Sunday: At Chase Field, 1:10 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray (6-3, 2.85) vs. Brewers RHP Chase Anderson (5-1, 2.94).

Monday: Off.

Tuesday: At Detroit, 4:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zack Greinke (8-3, 3.20) vs. Tigers RHP Buck Farmer (2-0, 0.00).

Up next: Milwaukee Brewers

Brewers update: The Brewers rallied to tie their series finale with the Giants in the bottom of the ninth on Thursday but wound up losing in 10 innings, leaving them with a four-game split. For the past few weeks, they’ve been bouncing between first and second in the NL Central, never falling back by more than a half-game, never leading by more than two. They still rank fourth in the National League in runs per game, but the offense has fallen off in recent weeks. Meanwhile, the pitching has improved; in the past 14 games entering Thurday, the Brewers had a 2.95 ERA as a team. While 1B Eric Thames’ bat has cooled after a hot start, 3B Travis Shaw has had a productive few weeks, hitting .333/.398/.533 over his past 19 games. RF Domingo Santana has also been swinging the bat well, owning an OPS of .988 in his past 22 games.