Diamondbacks Could Set MLB Record Today (They Have Lost 22 Consecutive Road Games)

UPDATE: They could set a record — and they do! With their 10-3 loss to the Giants this afternoon, the Diamondbacks set a new major league record by losing their 23rd consecutive road game. Arizona has lost 31 of 34 games since May 12.

* * *

The AL East looks pretty good this morning. Sure, the Rays are in first place, but the Red Sox are only 1.0 GB. The Yankees are in third, but it's a distant third, a daunting 7.0 GB.

Over in the NL West, the Diamondbacks could set a major league record today, though they would rather not. Arizona has lost 22 consecutive road games, tying the 1943 Philadelphia Athletics and the 1963 New York Mets for the most in the modern era (since 1900). They are playing the Giants in San Francisco this afternoon (and are trailing 4-0 in the fourth inning).

Arizona manager Torey Lovullo says it's "nothing that we ever expected, nothing that we're proud of".

It's been 51 days since Arizona won a game away from home. The Diamondbacks are 20-49 (.290), the worst record in MLB and they have a 9-30 road record. Their last road win came on April 25, when Madison Bumgarner pitched a seven-inning no-hitter in the second game of a double header against Atlanta.

Overall, the Diamondbacks have lost their last 13 games and are a dismal 3-30 since May 12.

Last night in San Francisco, the Diamondbacks led the Giants 2-0 after the top of the first, but Merrill Kelly gave up four runs in the bottom half, throwing 47 pitches, which tied for the most pitches any pitcher has thrown in the first inning this season.

Two nights ago (June 15), Arizona led 7-0 in the second inning - and lost 9-8. It was only the second time in team history (since 1998) that they lost a game in which they had led by seven or more runs. The other game was on July 9, 2009, when the Diamondbacks led the Marlins 7-0 after five innings, before allowing 14 unanswered runs, including 10 runs in the eighth.

Last night, pitcher Robert Stock (who pitched in 10 games for the Red Sox last season) is the first pitcher to walk six, hit a batter, and throw a wild pitch in his Cubs debut since Joe Vernon did it on July 20, 1912. That was Vernon's only game with the Cubs. He played in one other major league game, for the 1914 Brooklyn Tip-Tops (Federal League). He did just as poorly.