CHICAGO — While the Diamondbacks’ hot streak prior to the All-Star break created optimism about the direction of their season, it also caused concern for those prone to fretting.
Would this team, the thinking went, be able to maintain its momentum after four days off?
It has taken the Diamondbacks all of two days to put those worries to rest. They cruised to another win over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday night, getting strong pitching and just enough offense to come away with a 3-0 victory at Wrigley Field.
The win pushed the Diamondbacks to 51-48, putting them three games over .500 for the first time this season. They will go for a three-game sweep on Sunday afternoon.
The Diamondbacks were mostly an under .500 team during the season’s first three months. It was a stretch in which sustained momentum always felt just out of reach. But they finally found it over the previous few weeks, winning 10 of their final 15 games.
Then everyone went their separate ways for the break.
Count Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo among those who believe idle days can come at a cost. Hitters’ rhythm or timing can appear disrupted, their overall play not as sharp. Prolonged breaks have been a topic of debate in recent postseasons, when teams that earn a bye have supposedly lost their edge while the wild-card rounds are being played.
But, in this instance, Lovullo was happy his club had four blank squares on the calendar last week.
“I’ve had days off that have kind of ruined a little bit of the mojo,” he said. “But this group needed the rest.”
From Lovullo’s perspective, the Diamondbacks’ hot streak did not come easy. He thought his club’s series victories at Dodger Stadium and Petco Park earlier in the month took an emotional toll. And closer Paul Sewald noted how many position players had been playing nearly every day in the runup to the break.
“I think everyone gave everything they had the last two weeks knowing that, ‘Hey, we will get four days off, but you’ve got to finish strong,’” Sewald said. “We needed some time off.”
Sewald thought everyone needed a “battery recharge.” He thought the break provided it.
The Diamondbacks were not firing all cylinders on Saturday. Right-hander Zac Gallen had to work around a career-high-tying six walks. And the offense managed only six hits, doing all of its damage in the fifth inning off Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks via homers from Alek Thomas and Corbin Carroll.
But it was a win that seemed firmly in the Diamondbacks’ grasp from that point on, their three-run lead feeling all but insurmountable.
Maybe that says more about the Cubs’ offense than anything, but it also feels like the good vibes from last weekend remain squarely in the Diamondbacks’ possession despite the downtime.
“They remembered what it felt like and what it looked like to go out and win baseball games through those four days,” Lovullo said. “I give them all the credit in the world for coming out and playing focused baseball.”
Gallen threw five scoreless innings, holding the Cubs hitless in five at-bats with men in scoring position. The Diamondbacks’ bullpen had no trouble the rest of the way, with the same quartet of relievers as Friday — Kevin Ginkel, Justin Martinez, Ryan Thompson, Paul Sewald — combining to throw four scoreless innings.
Sunday’s Diamondbacks-Cubs pitching matchup
Diamondbacks at Cubs, 11:20 a.m., Cox, Ch. 34
Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (2-6, 6.10) vs. Cubs LHP Shota Imanaga (8-2, 2.97).
At Wrigley Field:Pfaadt threw six scoreless innings against the Braves in his most recent outing, allowing just three hits, walking none and striking out four. … He has worked at least six innings in 12 of his past 14 starts, and one of the two exceptions was a game he exited early after taking a line drive off his ankle. … Last year, opponents had a .327 average and .654 slugging off his fastball. This year, those numbers are down to .246 and .388, respectively. … Imanaga, whom the Cubs signed as a free-agent in the offseason, had a 0.84 ERA in his first nine starts. He was hit hard in his 10th start, giving up seven runs in 4 1/3 innings, and again several starts later, giving up 10 runs in three innings on June 21. But beyond that he has been remarkably consistent, giving the Cubs a chance to win pretty much every time he has taken the ball. … He throws a four-seam fastball that average 91.8 mph and a splitter at 83.1 mph. He also throws the occasional breaking ball but is mostly fastball/split. The split gets whiffs at an impressive 40.6 percent rate.
Coming up
Monday:At Kansas City, 5:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Yilber Diaz (1-0, 1.50) vs. Royals LHP Cole Ragans (6-6, 3.16).
Tuesday:At Kansas City, 5:10 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Jordan Montgomery (6-5, 6.44) vs. Royals RHP Alec Marsh (7-6, 4.52).
Wednesday:At Kansas City, 5:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Ryne Nelson (7-6, 4.78) vs. Royals RHP Michael Wacha (7-6, 3.55).
