Diamondbacks shoot coaches amid brutal stretch that includes 19-game losing streak on the road

At 20-43, the Arizona Diamondbacks have the worst baseball record in three games. They have lost 19 straight road games – their last road win was Madison Bumgarner without a hit in seven innings on April 25 – and are 5-30 in their last 35 games overall. It was a brutal stretch for the D-Backs.

It’s rare that a team goes through such a terrible time and doesn’t make changes. Thursday, the D-Backs ad they fired hitting coach Darnell Coles and assistant hitting coach Eric Hinske. Triple A hitting coach Rick Short and run production coordinator Drew Hedman have been promoted to Arizona co-hitting coaches. The D-Backs hired Coles and Hinske in November 2018.

The D-Backs are averaging 4.17 points per game, 19th in baseball, and they are 23rd in batting average (0.231), 23rd in percentage on base (0.305), 23rd in shooting percentage (0.380) and 25th in OPS + (87). The offense has ranked among the worst in the league, and when that happens the hitting coach (s) usually take the crash.

Additionally, several D-Backs baseline players have had disappointing seasons at the plate, including Nick Ahmed (66 OPS +), David Peralta (94 OPS +) and Christian Walker (49 OPS +). That said, wide receiver Carson Kelly (135 OPS +) has rebounded well after a tough 2020 season, and rookie Pavin Smith has been very good (115 OPS +).

Coles and Hinske are not the reason Arizona has a 4.97 ERA, however, nor responsible for the fact that three of Arizona’s top four in innings (Bumgarner, Merrill Kelly, Riley Smith) have ERA in the innings. north of 5.00. Generally speaking, the coaches start first, then the manager, then the general manager. Manager Torey Lovullo could be on thin ice now.

Arizona has a day off Thursday before opening a three-game home series with the Angels on Friday night. The team will look to avoid their 20th straight road loss when they travel to San Francisco on Monday.