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D-Backs’ manager Torey Lovullo on Walker, Bradley vs. Royals | 1:30
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo talks about Taijuan Walker’s impressive start and Archie Bradley’s shaky outing.
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Archie Bradley after loss to Royals | 1:36
Diamondbacks reliever Archie Bradley talks about what went wrong in his outing against the Royals on Saturday night.
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Torey Lovullo after Greinke’s loss vs. Royals | 1:08
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo discusses Zack Greinke’s final tune-up before his anticipated start in the wild-card game on Wednesday.
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Zack Greinke on his outing vs. Royals | 1:17
Diamondbacks right-hander Zack Greinke talks about his start (four-plus innings, two runs) vs. the Royals on Friday night in Kansas City.
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J.D. Martinez’s on his record-tying home run | 1:02
With a solo shot in the ninth inning on Wednesday, J.D. Martinez tied a National League record with his 16th home run in September.
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David Peralta on his walk-off walk, J.D. Martinez’s hitting | 2:03
Diamondbacks outfielder David Peralta talks about his game-winning walk and J.D. Martinez’s recent tear at the plate.
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J.D. Martinez on his hot streak, D-Backs’ win over Giants | 1:01
Slugger J.D. Martinez hit his 28th homer in his 58th game with the Diamondbacks on Tuesday night.
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Robbie Ray after win vs. Giants | 1:51
Diamondbacks lefty Robbie Ray threw five innings and gave up two runs, both unearned, in a win over the Giants on Tuesday night.
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Zack Godley after loss vs. Giants | 1:24
Diamondbacks right-hander Zack Godley gave up six runs (five earned) in 4 1/3 innings against the Giants on Monday night.
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Paul Goldschmidt after D-Backs clinch wild card spot | 0:50
Slugger Paul Goldschmidt in the celebratory clubhouse after the Diamondbacks clinched a wild card spot.
Nick Piecoro/azcentral sports
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D-Backs celebrate walk-off win over Miami | 0:31
The Diamondbacks secured home field for the National League wild-card game.
Scott Bordow/azcentral sports
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Diamondbacks celebrate playoff berth | 0:44
After clinching a National League wild card berth earlier in the day, the D-Backs celebrated securing home field with a walk-off win over the Miami Marlins.
Scott Bordow/azcentral sports
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Fernando Rodney on his 300th career save | 1:07
Diamondbacks closer Fernando Rodney speaks after recording his 300th save in a win over the Marlins on Friday.
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Chris Iannetta on his 8-RBI night in D-Backs’ win | 1:11
Diamondbacks catcher Chris Iannetta discusses his eight-RBI night in Arizona’s win over the Marlins on Friday.
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Archie Bradley answers questions from reporters – and J.D. Martinez | 1:43
Diamondbacks reliever Archie Bradley talks with reporters about his RBI single in the eighth, then answers questions from teammate J.D. Martinez.
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Torey Lovullo after D-Backs avoid sweep in San Diego | 1:32
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo talks about his team’s 13-7 come-from-behind win over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night.
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Torey Lovullo on recent offensive struggles after loss to Padres | 1:14
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said he has “minimal” concern about his team’s recent offensive struggles.
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A.J. Pollock on his two-homer game vs. Padres | 1:11
Diamondbacks center fielder A.J. Pollock talks about the two home runs he hit on Tuesday night in San Diego.
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D-Backs’ Zack Godley after loss to Padres | 1:35
Diamondbacks pitcher Zack Godley talks about his loss to the Padres on Tuesday night in San Diego.
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Patrick Corbin on mistakes vs. Padres | 1:09
Diamondbacks lefty Patrick Corbin talks about Yangervis Solarte’s tough at-bat that preceded Hunter Renfroe’s key three-run homer in a 4-2 loss to the Padres.
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Torey Lovullo on D-Backs’ loss to Padres | 1:36
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo talks about his team’s 4-2 loss to the San Diego Padres on Monday night.
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Taijuan Walker on shaky outing vs. Giants | 1:12
Right-hander Taijuan Walker gave up four runs in five innings against the Giants, who beat the Diamondbacks 7-2 on Sunday afternoon.
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Zack Greinke after 2-0 win over Giants | 1:48
Diamondbacks right-hander Zack Greinke gave up two hits in eight scoreless innings against the Giants on Saturday night.
Nick Piecoro/azcentral sports
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Torey Lovullo on Greinke’s dominant start vs. Giants | 1:38
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo talks about ace Zack Greinke’s eight shutout innings on Saturday evening against the San Francisco Giants.
Nick Piecoro/azcentral sports
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Robbie Ray after 10-strikeout game vs. Giants | 1:36
Diamondbacks lefty Robbie Ray talks about his performance in a 3-2 win over the San Francisco Giants on Friday night at AT&T Park.
Nick Piecoro/azcentral sports
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Archie Bradley on baseball and beards | 3:14
Diamondbacks reliever Archie Bradley discusses the energy associated with his appearances as a reliever and his beard. Patrick Breen/azcentral sports
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Torey Lovullo on Pollock’s two-run double, Ray’s outing | 1:24
Manager Torey Lovullo talks about the Diamondbacks’ 3-2 win over the Giants on Friday night.
Nick Piecoro/azcentral sports
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Shot Clock: D-Backs’ Archie Bradley talks football | 2:29
azcentral sports’ Jay Dieffenbach chats with D-Backs pitcher Archie Bradley about a different sport.
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Zack Godley on his outing against the Rockies | 0:54
Diamondbacks pitcher Zack Godley discusses his play against Colorado.
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Torey Lovullo on big win over Rockies | 1:04
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo discusses his team’s win over Colorado on Thursday.
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Paul Goldschmidt downplays his 1,000th career hit | 1:12
Diamondbacks slugger Paul Goldschmidt wasn’t too interested in discussing his 1,000th career hit on Wednesday night.
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Lovullo discusses his team’s win over the Rockies | 2:02
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo on his team’s win over Colorado on Wednesday night.
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D-Backs’ A.J. Pollock on his three-hit night | 1:08
Diamondbacks center fielder A.J. Pollock talks about his three-hit night against the Colorado Rockies.
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Patrick Corbin on his outing against the Rockies | 1:57
Corbin on his solid performance against the Rockies
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Shot Clock: D-Backs stay ahead of Rockies? | 2:03
Mark Faller and Greg Moore discuss the MLB Wild Card race between the Diamondbacks and the Rockies.
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Torey Lovullo on loss to Rockies | 1:04
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo breaks down his team’s loss to Colorado.
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J.D. Martinez following D-Backs’ loss to Rockies | 1:23
Slugger J.D. Martinez homered and doubled but the Diamondbacks dropped a 4-2 decision to the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.
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Taijuan Walker on his outing against the Rockies | 0:30
Taijuan Walker breaks down his performance against Colorado.
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Diamondbacks’ rally falls short against Rockies | 1:08
Manager Torey Lovullo, right-hander Zack Greinke and right-hander Jake Barrett react to the 5-4 loss.
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Robbie Ray on his outing vs. Padres | 1:06
Diamondbacks lefty Robbie Ray’s pitch count got a little high early but he still managed to go six strong innings against the Padres on Sunday.
Nick Piecoro/azcentral sports
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Manager Torey Lovullo on D-Backs’ win, Bradley’s save | 1:49
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo talks about the Diamondbacks’ win over the Padres, including his decision to use Archie Bradley in the ninth inning.
Nick Piecoro/azcentral sports
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Diamondbacks react to ‘tough’ loss to Padres | 1:06
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, pitcher Zack Godley on their loss to the Padres.
Sarah McLellan/azcentral sports
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Coyotes take batting practice at Chase Field | 1:21
Coyotes players took batting practice at Chase Field before the Diamondbacks hosted the Padres Friday.
Sarah McLellan/azcentral sports
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Torey Lovullo on the end of the D-Backs’ win streak | 1:40
Manager Torey Lovullo, left-hander Patrick Corbin and third baseman Jake Lamb react to the 10-6 loss.
Sarah McLellan/azcentral sports
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Paul Goldschmidt says his elbow is structurally sound | 2:16
Diamondbacks slugger Paul Goldschmidt talks about the results of Tuesday’s MRI exam on his right elbow.
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Zack Greinke after D-Backs’ win over Dodgers | 2:00
Diamondbacks right-hander Zack Greinke gave up one run in seven innings in a 3-1 win over the Dodgers in 10 innings on Tuesday night.
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Torey Lovullo on D-Backs’ record-tying 12th consecutive win | 1:11
Manager Torey Lovullo talks about the Diamondbacks’ franchise-record-tying 12th consecutive win, a 3-1 victory over the Dodgers.
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Shot Clock: JD rocks LA; Cards chase Seattle | 2:01
azcentral sports’ Jay Dieffenbach and Dan Bickley discuss J.D. Martinez’s four home runs against the Dodgers and more in our Shot Clock video.
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J.D. Martinez on his four-homer night vs. Dodgers | 1:21
Diamondbacks slugger J.D. Martinez said everything lined up perfectly for him on Monday night, when he tied a record by hitting four homers in a game at Dodger Stadium.
Nick Piecoro/azcentral sports
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Paul Goldschmidt talks about his sore right elbow | 1:48
Diamondbacks slugger Paul Goldschmidt, who is returning to Phoenix to undergo an MRI, talks about what he’s been feeling in his right elbow.
Nick Piecoro/azcentral sports
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Torey Lovullo on J.D. Martinez’s four-homer performance | 1:33
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo talks about J.D. Martinez’s record-tying night at Dodger Stadium.
Nick Piecoro/azcentral sports
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Robbie Ray after striking out career-high 14 vs. Dodgers | 1:43
Diamondbacks lefty Robbie Ray talks about J.D. Martinez’s record night and his own performance against the Dodgers on Monday night.
Nick Piecoro/azcentral sports
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Torey Lovullo on D-Backs’ 10th consecutive win | 1:39
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo talks about his team’s 5-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday at Coors Field.
Nick Piecoro/azcentral sports
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Zack Godley on wild yet effective outing vs. Rockies | 1:06
Diamondbacks right-hander Zack Godley issued six walks but allowed just one run against the Rockies on Sunday.
Nick Piecoro/azcentral sports
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D-Backs’ manager Torey Lovullo on Walker, Bradley vs. Royals
Archie Bradley after loss to Royals
Torey Lovullo after Greinke’s loss vs. Royals
Zack Greinke on his outing vs. Royals
J.D. Martinez’s on his record-tying home run
David Peralta on his walk-off walk, J.D. Martinez’s hitting
J.D. Martinez on his hot streak, D-Backs’ win over Giants
Robbie Ray after win vs. Giants
Zack Godley after loss vs. Giants
Paul Goldschmidt after D-Backs clinch wild card spot
D-Backs celebrate walk-off win over Miami
Diamondbacks celebrate playoff berth
Fernando Rodney on his 300th career save
Chris Iannetta on his 8-RBI night in D-Backs’ win
Archie Bradley answers questions from reporters – and J.D. Martinez
Torey Lovullo after D-Backs avoid sweep in San Diego
Torey Lovullo on recent offensive struggles after loss to Padres
A.J. Pollock on his two-homer game vs. Padres
D-Backs’ Zack Godley after loss to Padres
Patrick Corbin on mistakes vs. Padres
Torey Lovullo on D-Backs’ loss to Padres
Taijuan Walker on shaky outing vs. Giants
Zack Greinke after 2-0 win over Giants
Torey Lovullo on Greinke’s dominant start vs. Giants
Robbie Ray after 10-strikeout game vs. Giants
Archie Bradley on baseball and beards
Torey Lovullo on Pollock’s two-run double, Ray’s outing
Shot Clock: D-Backs’ Archie Bradley talks football
Zack Godley on his outing against the Rockies
Torey Lovullo on big win over Rockies
Paul Goldschmidt downplays his 1,000th career hit
Lovullo discusses his team’s win over the Rockies
D-Backs’ A.J. Pollock on his three-hit night
Patrick Corbin on his outing against the Rockies
Shot Clock: D-Backs stay ahead of Rockies?
Torey Lovullo on loss to Rockies
J.D. Martinez following D-Backs’ loss to Rockies
Taijuan Walker on his outing against the Rockies
Diamondbacks’ rally falls short against Rockies
Robbie Ray on his outing vs. Padres
Manager Torey Lovullo on D-Backs’ win, Bradley’s save
Diamondbacks react to ‘tough’ loss to Padres
Coyotes take batting practice at Chase Field
Torey Lovullo on the end of the D-Backs’ win streak
Paul Goldschmidt says his elbow is structurally sound
Zack Greinke after D-Backs’ win over Dodgers
Torey Lovullo on D-Backs’ record-tying 12th consecutive win
Shot Clock: JD rocks LA; Cards chase Seattle
J.D. Martinez on his four-homer night vs. Dodgers
Paul Goldschmidt talks about his sore right elbow
Torey Lovullo on J.D. Martinez’s four-homer performance
Robbie Ray after striking out career-high 14 vs. Dodgers
Torey Lovullo on D-Backs’ 10th consecutive win
Zack Godley on wild yet effective outing vs. Rockies
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Paul Goldschmidt flew to right in his first at-bat on Saturday night. He twice grounded harmlessly to short. In his other plate appearance, he drew a five-pitch walk.
Goldschmidt’s final month of the season has looked a lot like his game on Saturday night, a lengthy slump that is potentially meaningful for a pair of reasons. First and foremost, it is an apparent concern for the Diamondbacks, who depend on his production in the middle of their lineup and, it goes without saying, would prefer to have their players firing on all cylinders on the eve of the postseason.
But Goldschmidt’s offensive tailspin could also factor into his candidacy for the National League MVP. Over the course of the past month, he has gone from a player whose statistical profile made him look like the odds-on favorite to one whose numbers no longer stand out from the pack.
Since the start of September, Goldschmidt is hitting .175/.256/.313. He has just three home runs and five total extra-base hits. He has seen his batting average drop from .319 at the end of August to .299 after Friday’s 0 for 3.
It’s not just the worst month of the season for Goldschmidt – it might be the worst of his career. The only one close was in April 2012, the start of his first full season in the majors. In just 57 at-bats that month, Goldschmidt hit .193/.288/.281 with one home run.
After Friday, Goldschmidt is hitless in his past 15 at-bats with two walks.
“I know it’s so hard to be as consistent as he has been all year long, and he’s had a tremendous year,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “The season ebbs and flows. I just think he might be pulling off (pitches). There might be a little hustle to his swing where he’s not letting it get as deep as he possibly can.”
Goldschmidt missed five games early in the month with right elbow inflammation. He and the team said at the time that an MRI did not reveal structural damage. Lovullo said Saturday he does not believe the elbow is a factor in Goldschmidt’s struggles, nor does he think it’s an issue going forward.
“I think it’s of very minimal concern to me,” Lovullo said. “I think he would share with us if he had issues with it. I don’t think it’s been bothering him at all. In all my conversations, he’s never brought it up in the past three weeks.”
He thought the downtime could have thrown off Goldschmidt’s timing at the plate initially but believes he’s been back in the lineup long enough that it’s no longer an explanation.
Whatever the reason, Goldschmidt has company in a crowded NL MVP race, and his numbers – both advanced metrics and traditional stats – leave him, at best, bunched up in the pack.
Entering Saturday, Goldschmidt was tied for fifth in the league with 36 homers, but a whopping 23 behind MLB-leading Giancarlo Stanton. He also was fifth in OPS (on-base-plus-slugging) at .974, trailing another MVP contender in Joey Votto (1.033), who had a slight lead on Stanton (1.014).
Goldschmidt also was well behind in the statistic Wins Above Replacement (WAR), which attempts to capture a player’s total contribution in hitting, fielding and baserunning. Both Baseball-Reference (5.9 WAR, seventh) and FanGraphs (5.4, 10th) had Goldschmidt outside the top five and well behind Stanton, the leader according to each site at 7.6 and 7.0, respectively.
One advantage he could have is the fact that he’s playing for a contending team, something some voters take into account for the MVP award.
Goldschmidt has twice finished runner-up in MVP voting – in 2013 to the Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen and in 2015 to the Nationals’ Bryce Harper. He did not receive a first-place vote from any of the 30 voters either year.
NOTES: Zack Greinke to start wild-card game vs. Rockies
WILD-CARD INFO: How to watch, what to know
MORE: D-Backs owner sends plane to Puerto Rico for Fuentes’ family
Reach Piecoro at (602) 444-8680 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @nickpiecoro.
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