SAN FRANCISCO — In the bottom of the first inning Wednesday, Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll hit a single to center, stole second and then scored. Two innings later, Carroll hit a single to left, stole second and then scored.
At the end of a 7-1 victory over the Giants, Carroll became the first rookie in MLB history to hit 25 home runs and 50 stolen bases. He was part of a 14-hit push by the Diamondbacks, who hit two home runs, stole three bases, played their usual strong defense and gave the Giants hope for a miracle in the final ten games of the season.
“Well,” said manager Gabe Kapler, “the bill is not on our side.”
When you’re in the Giants’ position, there’s no good way to get overwhelmed, but this is a series that should haunt the front office early in the offseason. Farhan Zaidi and Kapler repeatedly said at the end of a disappointing 2022 season that the team needed to get younger and more athletic in 2023, and part of that push was last year’s late-season games against the Diamondbacks.
Arizona was younger, faster and more dynamic. In a division dominated by the Los Angeles Dodgers and the big-spending San Diego Padres, the Giants saw another potential power emerge. The staff marveled at how the young Diamondbacks chased every ball in the gap and took the extra base at every opening.
When a reporter pointed out to Kapler that he often brought up the Diamondbacks without being asked about them, he admitted that he spent a lot of time thinking about what a strong team they were putting together.
The Giants promised to compete in 2023, and technically they’ve gotten younger. This season has been defined in part by the introduction of a large rookie class, but it’s a group that’s largely not ready for prime time. Facing their biggest games since the 2021 NLDS, the Giants relied almost entirely on veterans, with only Patrick Bailey and Luis Matos considered good rookie choices for those two games at Chase Field.
The Giants took advantage of their experience – and stayed in the starting lineup for two games. The biggest play of the series was an error by Wilmer Flores in the second inning on Tuesday. It allowed both Carroll and Ketel Marte to score, and it was the type of play that is unheard of for a Giants offense that has been the lowest-scoring group in the National League since early July.
You could look at this game and ask how many current Giants could score like Carroll and Marte, but that’s not the right question. How many current Giants could even attempt to score?
Thairo Estrada? Secure. Mike Yastrzemski? Probably if his hamstrings are fine. But it’s not a long list.
Carroll and Marte were on base that inning because Mitch Haniger couldn’t reach a pop-up down the left field line with two outs. It was an odd-looking play, but one that fit right in with the type of outfield defense the Giants have played the last two seasons. On the other hand, Alek Thomas and the Diamondbacks outfielders gave it their all for 18 innings.
After two crushing losses, the Giants looked old and slow, but that’s no surprise. For all the talk about getting more athletic in the offseason, they’re back at the bottom of the league.
Carroll is just three stolen bases away from tying the entire Giants team; They rank last in the majors by a wide margin with 53 and have stolen 103 fewer bases than the Diamondbacks. They rank last in the NL in sprint speed, and it’s not like they make up for that lack of energy and athleticism with home runs and extra-base hits. On the other side of the ball, the Giants’ outfielders rank 26th in Outs Above Average.
The Diamondbacks rank fourth in outfield defense and fifth in sprint speed, which seems to be a pretty good indicator of success given the offseason rule changes. Of the eight teams ahead of the Giants in the NL postseason race, only the Atlanta Braves — who lead the world in home runs — are outside the majors’ top 13 in team speed. The Giants are in the bottom five along with the New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees.
The game has changed and for two days only one team took advantage at Chase Field. The Diamondbacks appear poised to join the Dodgers in the postseason as representatives of the NL West. After vowing to look different in 2023, the Giants have faltered again.
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