diamondbacks Make Surprising Pitching Change: Beeks to Open Against Reds
PHOENIX, AZ – In a late shift, the Arizona Diamondbacks will start left-hander Jalen Beeks against the Cincinnati Reds Saturday evening at Chase Field (5:10 p.m. MST). This unexpected move replaces originally scheduled starter nabil Crismatt, who recently delivered a strong five-inning performance.
Manager Torey Lovullo’s decision appears strategically driven, leaning into a likely “opener” situation with Beeks.The left-hander pitched effectively friday night, retiring the side on just nine pitches. However, Beeks typically works in shorter stints – he’s thrown 48.2 innings across 49 appearances with a 4.07 ERA and 4.00 FIP – and hasn’t exceeded two innings or 35 pitches in any outing this season.
Strategic Matchup Play
The change is largely attributed to the Reds’ lineup. Cincinnati’s leadoff hitter, TJ Friedl, and key power threat Elly De La Cruz both demonstrate significant splits against left-handed pitching. Friedl hits .277 against righties but dips to .241 against lefties,while De La Cruz’s OPS drops from .890 versus right-handers to.638 against southpaws.
“This allows us to leverage a favorable matchup early in the game,” explained a source close to the team. ”with Crismatt on a pitch count anyway, limiting his exposure to those key left-handed hitters makes sense.”
While Crismatt is expected to be available, he’s unlikely to throw more than 65-70 pitches. The goal is to have him face the top of the reds order only once or twice, rather than the potential three times he’d encounter in a traditional start.
Echoes of 2023 postseason
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