On the West Coast, the Arizona Diamondbacks made MLB history this week by becoming the fastest team to reach eight grand slams in a single seasonâdoing it in just 68 games. Eugenio SuĂĄrez delivered the milestone moment with a towering shot off Seattleâs Luis Castillo on Tuesday night, propelling Arizona to a 5â2 win and a sweep of the Mariners.
The Diamondbacksâ offensive output this season has been driven by aggressive at-bats and timely power. Along with SuĂĄrezâs three grand slams, contributions from Christian Walker, Gabriel Moreno, and Corbin Carroll have helped Arizona maintain offensive momentumâeven as injuries plague their rotation. The D-backs are now the only team since the 2000 Cardinals to hit eight grand slams before the All-Star break.
While the bats are booming, manager Torey Lovullo acknowledged the bittersweet nature of the week: âItâs fun to set records and win games like this, but weâre also dealing with some adversity on the pitching side thatâs hard to ignore.â
Burnes Out for Season, Diamondbacks Reeling
The adversity Lovullo referred to is the loss of ace pitcher Corbin Burnes, who was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) and will undergo Tommy John surgery. Burnes, a key offseason acquisition from Milwaukee, had been everything Arizona hoped forâgoing 3â2 with a 2.66 ERA and 89 strikeouts over 68 innings before the injury.
Burnesâ absence will force the Diamondbacks to dig deep, either by leaning more heavily on youngsters like Brandon Pfaadt or by exploring trade options. Internal whispers suggest that if Arizona slides further in the standings, front office executives may consider trading veterans like Merrill Kelly or even closer Paul Sewald in exchange for long-term assets.
âItâs tough,â Lovullo said after the announcement. âYou lose your No. 1 guy, your horseâit changes everything. But weâve got guys who are ready to step up. Thatâs the beauty of a long season.â
