Brad Ziegler Re-Emerging After Rough Start With Arizona Diamondbacks
Submarine pitcher Brad Ziegler has bounced back nicely after rough start to his second stint with Arizona Diamondbacks.
When the Arizona Diamondbacks traded for Brad Ziegler at the 2018 MLB trade deadline, hopes were high for his second stint with the team. He was, after all, a solidified D-Backs legend, complete with a spot on the franchise’s 20th Anniversary All-Time Roster.
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Plus, he also came in from the Miami Marlins with zero hits allowed in his last six appearances.
After three outings with Arizona, though, fans and supporters were left scratching their heads. His first outing was a complete disaster, allowing four earned runs on three hits in one inning. Then, while he didn’t allow any runs in his next two appearances, he did allow three hits in 1.1 innings pitched. Three games, zero clean outings, and an ERA of 15.43.
Luckily, the madness stopped right there.
Since those initial outings, Ziegler has chopped his ERA by nearly two-thirds — from 15.43 to 5.40 — with only one walk, a .125 batting average allowed, and absolutely zero runs allowed in seven appearances.
Brad Ziegler 2018 w/Arizona Diamondbacks
-Outings 1-3: 2.1 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 15.43 ERA, .535 BAA
-Outings 4-10: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 0.00 ERA, .125 BAA
The most important thing a reliever can accomplish, especially for a guy like Ziegler who is a situational pitcher, is a clean inning (or retiring every batter faced). In those seven outings since his slow start, five have been totally clean.
Combined with his 2018 Marlins stint (53 games), Ziegler has an ERA of 4.14, 10 saves, and 10 holds.
light. Read. What Arizona Missed on Their 20th Anniversary 'Top 20 Moments' List
In the D-Backs most recent series against the San Diego Padres, manager Torey Lovullo called on Ziegler three different times. The D-Backs took three of four from San Diego and will now get a day off before heading home for five-game stand — two against the Los Angeles Angels and three against the Seattle Mariners.
Arizona currently holds the top spot in the NL West by a half-game over Colorado.